Journey to the Past
by IceCreamAndPizza
Summary: After a terrible accident, Ash has passed away. Unknown to his mother and friends, however, he has left something behind. With it they will learn to overcome the grief of his death and finally get the answers to questions they've been too afraid to ask.
1. Prologue

Letting her bike crash to the ground, Misty kicked off her shoes and walked to the river's edge. Sitting down on a patch of grass, she stuck her feet into the river and let the cool water rush through her toes. Normally, she came here to find solace in the one thing she loved more than anything, but now, she wasn't so sure if it was helping her like she hoped it would. Then again, she wasn't exactly helping herself by coming to where she was sitting now; but something had pulled her here. Maybe, to reassure her that the river was still there. That something had remained stable in her suddenly changed world. For, in the last three hours, everything around her had changed.

"I had a feeling I would find you here," she heard a voice behind her say.

When she turned around, she spotted Brock standing by a tree watching her. His expression looked about as expressionless as hers had been all day. She knew the reasons, too. They both did for that matter. Nothing, it felt to her, would be able to bring that smile back to their faces. Not after what had happened.

"Hey," she replied, her voice shaky and unsure.

Unconsciously, she pulled her feet from the water and brought them closer to her, wrapping her arms around her legs as if she was protecting herself. From what she was protecting herself from, she wasn't sure. More pain?

Without another word, Brock walked over and sat beside his friend. Not a word was uttered as they both stared at the river flowing past them. And although Misty wanted to be alone to begin with, she couldn't help but feel a little better knowing that her best friend was here with her.

"I keep waiting for him to hop out of the river and take my bike," she finally said.

Knowing what she was referring to, Brock gave a weak smile, trying to find something positive in what happened. Deep down, though, he wanted the same thing to happen just as much as she did-if not more for her. He had always known the feisty red head beside him to be a strong, almost unbreakable girl. As he had learned in the last couple hours, though, Misty was a lot more fragile than he had thought. The worst part for him was that he didn't know how to help her. There was only person she needed now. One who knew what to say to cheer her up and get her back to the Misty they all knew and loved. He wasn't here, though, and he wasn't about to come rushing down the river.

"He always knew how to make an entrance," he commented, not really sure what else to say.

"And an exit," he heard Misty say barely loud enough for him to hear. He wasn't quite sure what she meant by that statement, but he knew better to press the issue. She suddenly turned to look toward him, her eyes filled with curiosity. "Brock, how-how did it happen?"

The question threw Brock off. He thought the last thing Misty would want to know was what had led their best friend to his passing. He couldn't help but wonder why she wanted to know when he knew knowing would probably hurt her even more. Plus, up until the last three hours, she had never asked about him. It had always been something unspoken between the two of them ever since the day he left them four years ago. For her to even be talking about him was odd, but for her to ask what she had was even weirder.

"He was traveling through a cave when there was an explosion. He… he got trapped in a hole by the boulders that fell. It was only a matter of time before..." No matter how hard he tried, Brock couldn't find the strength to finish his sentence.

Misty just looked at her friend, her eyes filled with grief. She didn't understand how something like that could happen to her friend. She had traveled with him before and they had been in worse situations. Together they had survived all those. But this time, he had been alone and stuck in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"Team Rocket saw the whole thing happen," Brock added, much to Misty's surprise. Although, at the thought of Team Rocket, she instantly felt anger begin to boil inside her. If Team Rocket had been there then they must have caused the explosion that resulted in his death. And if this was true, she didn't think she could ever forgive them for taking away the one thing she loved. "They managed to move one boulder that created a hole large enough for him to give them his Pokemon. They tried to save him, but the other boulders covered the hole back up. They were too heavy for them to move no matter how hard they tried."

At the statement that his Pokemon were still alive, Misty felt herself perk up, more interested in the story than she was before. "Is…is Pikachu alive?"

"I don't know," Brock replied. Misty felt her shoulders slouch in disappointment. Knowing the electric mouse she had grown to love was alive would give her more hope than she had before. "Ms. Ketchum only told me that Team Rocket had called the police-anonymously, of course- and told them what happened. They were long gone before anybody found him. I guess later on they left a message with Professor Oak saying they had his Pokemon."

"Oh."

"They didn't cause this, Misty. They did everything they could to save him."

Brock didn't know why he felt he had to defend the criminal organization that had followed his friend since day one. But something about her tone and reactions caused him to feel that maybe, Misty was blaming Team Rocket for what happened. It made sense too, considering when he first found out, he had blamed them, too. But somehow, he knew that even Team Rocket wouldn't do something like that. They were petty criminals, not murders. Plus, they had tried to save him when they could have just left him and not told anyone, taking Pikachu and his other Pokemon with them.

"I should probably head back to the gym. They're probably wondering what happened to me," Misty said, her voice breaking through Brock's train of thought.

Standing up, Misty pulled her shoes back on and walked over to her bike. Hopping on, she couldn't help but glance at the river one more time. She still hoped he would come rushing down the river an injured Pikachu in his arms.

"I think they'll understand, Misty," Brock assured her.

Knowing Misty pretty well, Brock had anticipated her neglecting to tell her sisters what happened so, he had taken it upon himself to quickly call them on his way here and fill them in on what happened.

She just simply nodded, not really hearing what he said. "Bye, Brock." Glancing away, she rode off, leaving Brock at the river's edge.

OOOO

Once again, Misty found herself sitting next to Brock, not really sure what was going to happen next. She had gotten a call from Professor Oak the night before asking her to report to Viridian City that morning. Apparently, Brock and Gary had also received that same phone call.

They were all seated at a round table with Professor Oak facing them, his face expressionless. Despite having been dragged inside, he still hadn't told them what was going on.

"Thank you all for coming down here so quickly. I understand this might have been an inconvenience for you, but it was necessary I met with you three immediately," Professor Oak explained, his expression unchanging. As he looked around, he noticed the confused looks of the people in front of him. It was then that he realized that in the rush of everything that had happened, he had neglected to tell them why exactly they were here. "I brought you guys down here because I needed to give you some things, and I figured Viridian City was closer for all of you."

_Four years, and this is how we finally hear from him: through Professor Oak,_ Misty thought angrily.

"Here we go," Professor Oak announced, picking up the piece of papers in front of him. "The things I have listed below, you have a choice in if you choose to accept them or not. If you choose not to, and someone else accepts the responsibility, it will be handed over to he or she. If nobody does, then it will be dealt with another way."

Misty, Brock and Gary all glanced at each other, unsure of what to expect. What was Professor Oak giving them?

"Brock," Professor Oak called. At this name, Brock instantly perked up, "With the exception of Pikachu, I am giving you Ash's Pokemon. I know that you will take care of them and be a great trainer for them." At this, Professor Oak pulled three Pokeballs out of his bag and slid them over to Brock, who accepted them without a word. "These are the three Pokemon I received from Team Rocket. All of his other Pokemon are back at the lab, and you are more than welcome to keep them there if you need to."

He very well knew that it would be difficult for Brock to take care of all of Ash's Pokemon on his own. Plus, he didn't think Brock had a big enough place for all of them. In addition, it would only help Ash's Pokemon if they were able to stay in a place they were familiar with while they adapted to the change in trainers.

"Where are the missing two Pokemon, Professor?" Misty asked, taking notice of the difference. "Shouldn't there be five?"

"Ash only had four Pokemon on him when he died," the Professor explained.

Taking into account what the Professor had said, Misty still found it very odd that this was the case. Ash was an experienced trainer who always had six Pokemon on him at all times. For him to only have four seemed odd. She didn't intend on saying anything, but something wasn't adding up.

Once the exchange had been completed, Professor Oak returned to the papers in front of him. "Gary, I know you've been looking for something to do, so I'm putting you in charge of the training school Ash opened in Viridian City," Professor Oak told his grandson. After rummaging around in his pocket for a few seconds, he pulled out a set of keys and placed them on the table. "Team Rocket told me he opened it two and a half years ago, and that he takes any trainers who want to learn, or just need a little extra help."

Through researching, Gary had heard trainers talk about the training school located in Viridian, but he had never known who ran it. So, it was safe to say that he was slightly surprised to find out it was run by his long time rival and childhood friend. He noticed that Misty and Brock seemed even more shocked than he was. Unlike them, Gary had actually heard from Ash after he suddenly disappeared. He just never imagined that the last time he would see Ash would be when he called two weeks before.

When he called, he never said much about himself, only asking how his friends were doing. He never wanted to talk about much, keeping secrets from Gary that he refused to reveal or talk about. Whenever Gary would try to convince Ash that he should call his friends, he would tell the researcher that he eventually would. He just needed more time-time that, unfortunately, had run out before he had done anything.

"I'll take it over," he replied, snatching the keys off the table and stuffing them in his pocket. Although he hadn't always gotten along with Ash, he owed it to his friend to try and continue something he had worked so hard on.

"I also found this in his backpack," he added, pulling what looked like half of a Pokeball out of a bag sitting next to her. "If I recall, it was very important to both you and him."

Picking up the old and beaten up object, he pulled the other half out of his pocket and put them together. He remembered that day so well, it being yet another day when he and Ash had gotten into a competition over something pointless. Despite having been at each other's throats that day, they had both kept a half to remind them of the rivalry they shared. And as Gary examined the old Pokeball, he couldn't help but feel as if a huge purpose of him being a trainer had suddenly disappeared. He no longer had someone he had to constantly stay ahead of.

As it suddenly dawned on Brock and Gary that Misty was the only one left, they couldn't help but feel pain for her. They knew she had always been special to Ash and Ash special to her, so they could only imagine how hard this was for her. Misty knew it too, but she didn't know what Ash would have to give her.

"Misty, I'm giving you Pikachu," the professor told her. "You two were very important in Ash's life, and I think it would help you both if you had each other."

Pulling a Pokeball out of his pocket, he slowly slid it across the table and toward Misty. As it sat there in front of her, she just stared. As weird as it sounded, she was afraid to pick it up, worried that Pikachu would break free and wonder where its trainer was. If he did Misty would have to break the unfortunate news to the pokemon that its trainer wasn't coming back. What confused her even more, though, was why she had been given Pikachu. Why not Brock, who had received Ash's other pokemon to? What was so special about her that Professor Oak was positive she would be the ideal trainer for Pikachu?

Noticing Misty's uncertainty, Brock slowly picked up the pokeball and hit the button in the center. The light traveled from the ball to the center of the table where a Pikachu materialized in front of them. Realizing it had been sprung free, Pikachu began to search around for its trainer, scared by the unfamiliar environment it found itself currently in. When it spotted Misty and Brock, Pikachu gave out a cry of joy before bounding over to them. Noticing something was off with his surroundings, he stopped a few feet from Misty.

"Pikapi?" it asked them, tilting it's head to the side.

Although Brock understood what Pikachu wanted, he and Gary remained silent, allowing Misty to answer.

"He's not here, Pikachu," she told the little mouse, her voice cracking as she tried to hold back the tears.

Slightly understanding what she had said, Pikachu quickly became confused as to why Misty was telling him Ash wasn't there. Sensing the sadness in its trainer's best friend, Pikachu became even more worried, concerned as to why Misty was so upset. Pikachu knew how Misty felt toward his trainer, so for her to get upset must have meant something was wrong with Ash.

"Pikapi! Pika!" it yelled, it's voice all frantic.

"Pikachu," Brock spoke up, knowing Misty wasn't going to say anything, "Ash, he…he didn't make it Pikachu. Team Rocket got you out, but they… they couldn't save him."

At this, Pikachu finally understood what had happened. Little tears started to fall down his cheeks, his sadness becoming to strong for him to try and hold back. Before Pikachu could run off or sink deeper into sadness, Misty scooped him up in her arms and pulled the little mouse close. Although she still couldn't understand why she had been given Pikachu, she couldn't help but think it was because Professor Oak was right. She would need Pikachu as much as Pikachu needed her.

"Pikapi pi pi pi?" Pikachu squeaked, moving his head so he could look at Misty's face.

Unlike before, neither Brock nor Misty understood what Pikachu was asking them. This was a new word neither of them had heard Pikachu ever say. While the two words separately were words they recognized, put together they couldn't understand the meaning.

"They're okay, Pikachu," the professor replied, being the only one who understood what Pikachu was inquiring about.

"You know who Pikachu's talking about?" Brock asked, surprised.

Realizing his slip up, the professor quickly retraced his steps. "Pikachu was asking about Team Rocket."

Although Misty and Brock were pretty sure that wasn't Pikachu's word for Team Rocket-and that Pikachu probably wouldn't care much about Team Rocket-they didn't want to press the Professor at such a delicate time. Plus, before could ask further questions, the Professor Oak continued on.

"There's something else," he announced, causing all three of them to look up. "I found these in his backpack."

Once again, Professor Oak reached down beside him and pulled out a pink handkerchief and a worn looking lure. Without even being told what they were, Misty instantly knew what was sitting in front of her. She had given him these long ago, yet she had no idea that he had kept them that long. Grabbing them off the table, she examined them in her hand, letting her fingers trace the outline of the lure. She hadn't made one of these since she had sent him one.

"Thank you," Misty replied.

"Did you give anything to Ash's other friends?" Gary asked, knowing that Ash had friends other than Brock and Misty.

"I have mailed them their items," Professor Oak replied. "Other than that, there is nothing else I have for you. Team Rocket gave us the address of Ash's apartment in Viridian City, so sometime in the near future Delia is going to go clean it out."

"Tell her to call me," Misty said. "I'll go with her. She shouldn't have to go there by herself. It'll be too hard."

"Alright, Misty. I'll be sure to let her now." Standing up, the Professor pushed in his chair and grabbed the piece of paper off the desk. "Thanks again for coming down here. If you ever need anything, please let me know."

OOOO

The first few days seemed to go by painfully slow. Having closed the gym for personal reasons, Misty hadn't done much of anything except lying on the couch in her pajamas, watching reruns of league battles. Brock had stopped by her apartment a few times to check on her, but they both knew that no amount of trying to cheer her up was really proving effective. When he would come over, they would sit on the couch with Pikachu and watch Ash battle. She knew what the outcomes for each battle were-she had been there in person-but just seeing him the way she remembered comforted her.

Sometime later that week she received a phone call from Ms. Ketchum detailing her plans of going to clean out Ash's apartment. Just as she had told the professor earlier, knowing this was a tough time for Ms. Ketchum, she quickly obliged. So, later that day she found herself in her car, driving to some unknown apartment located in Viridian City. If she'd known he had been that close the entire time, she would have reached out and tried to visit.

When she arrived at the apartment, she spotted Ms. Ketchum and Brock standing outside waiting for her. Since they hadn't spotted her, Misty took the time to observe them from afar. They were chatting-probably making small talk while they waited for her-giving weak smiles as if to convince the other that they were doing okay. Ms. Ketchum, always bright and full of energy, looked almost dead, and for once, old. The stress of the situation had definitely gotten to her, as Misty spotted some grey mixed in with her auburn strands. Her friend Brock looked cold and distant, as if he was lost as to what to do. Just like Misty had for him, he had tried to stay strong for Ms. Ketchum. This, however, was proving to take its toll on him, as Brock looked like he hadn't slept in days. Then again, neither had she.

"I'm here," she finally announced as she stepped out of the car.

At the sight of her, they both exchanged weak smiles. Locking her car, she walked over to them and waited for further instructions. She didn't really want to talk small talk today; she just wanted to get this over with.

As if Ms. Ketchum understood what Misty was feeling, she nodded her head confidently before leading the way to up the steps and down a hallway. They took the elevator to floor number three before stepping out and following Ms. Ketchum to apartment number 304. Pulling out a key, Ms. Ketchum put it into the lock before turning it. When it was unlocked, she turned the knob and pushed the door open. Despite the door being open, though, none of them dared enter first.

When agreeing to help Delia with cleaning out Ash's apartment, Misty hadn't anticipated what she would be feeling now after getting her first glance at it. She hadn't heard from her friend in four years, and now she was about to step into an apartment she never knew about filled with a life of his she never knew about. She didn't know what scared her most: what she would find, or what memories would cloud her head?

Finally Brock stepped into the apartment, breaking the invisible barrier between the life of their friend Misty and Brock knew and the one they didn't. When they entered the apartment, the first thing she noticed was the coat rack standing alongside the wall. It was barely filled, its contents consisting of a blue hoodie and an umbrella. While Ms. Ketchum and Brock ventured into the kitchen, Misty decided to take another route and head for the other rooms-specifically the bedroom. Why she wanted to check it out, she didn't know. Maybe she hopped that it was where he had been hiding everything that would explain what happened in the past four years.

After walking up a small set of steps, Misty found it snuggled in the right corner of the floor, its door wide open as if it was inviting her to walk in. The bed was the first thing she spotted with its unmade covers almost falling off the bed. Nearby, she saw some shirts scattered haphazardly on the floor. If anything, the state of the bed and the clothing only proved to her that even though she hadn't seen him in years, he was still the same, even down to the day of his death. Although, she had to admit, the room itself looked a little too clean for Ash.

On the wall across from her was a sliding closet that was slightly ajar, as if someone hadn't shut it all the way. Tiptoeing over the clothes scattered on the floor, she made her way to the closet. Sliding it open she felt a sudden rush of sadness and pain when she saw the pile of his old clothes neatly folded, a red and white hat sitting on top. There had been a reason she hadn't brought Pikachu with her. She knew it would be tough on her seeing everything, so she hadn't brought Pikachu in order to spare him the sights and smells of his deceased trainer.

_This was his_, she couldn't help but think as her fingers traced the green L on the front of the hat. Quickly looking at the door, she almost expected him to walk in and catch her going through his stuff. The moment she had entered the room she almost sensed eeriness to it. She didn't expect him to suddenly appear in front of her in a ghost form. But that didn't stop her from believing that he was watching her from somewhere she didn't know.

As she searched deeper in the closet, she found an old picture frame lying on the floor. It had a picture of her and Ash taken shortly after he had returned from Hoenn. Grasping the picture in her hand, she walked over to the bed and sat down on the edge. Setting the picture in the box she had to carry the things she found, she grabbed his pillow and pulled it close. She didn't care what she was doing; she needed this. The second the pillow came centimeters from her face; her nose was filled with the smells she knew to be his. That's when she finally gave into her emotions and let herself cry.

The crying had quickly escalated into sobbing as she started shaking, her sadness morphing into anger. Anger at him for leaving her; anger at herself for never searching for him-for blindly thinking he would return on his own. So why was it that when he finally decided to contact her weeks before his death, she had pushed him away, not wanting anything to do with him? Now, of course, she regretted it more than anything. If she had only known what would happen, she could have spent a few more weeks with him and maybe even stopped him. But just like the fact that he wasn't going to walk into the room to collect his dirty laundry, she had to accept it wasn't going to happen.


	2. The Tomboy Mermaid

_She doesn't know the word 'impossible'  
>Don't care where I've been and doesn't care where we're goin' to.<br>She takes me as I am, and that ain't easy.  
>She's beautiful. So beautiful.<br>And sometimes I think she's truly crazy.  
>And I love it.<em>

_5 years later…_

There was really no reason for her to be here, nor did she have anyone special to share it with like most people did. In addition, it was winter and there was a fresh layer of snow piled on the ground. It was cold and her nose and ears had turned red from being nipped at. Nonetheless, Misty found herself watching the ocean from the most romantic spot she knew. It had been five years since the incident, and just like she had told herself she would, she had gotten back to her life. That didn't mean she forgot, though. And it was that need not to forget that brought her to this place even on the most terrible of days. When she was feeling down and saddened by the day, she would find herself at this place. She didn't think she came here because of the romantic attachment to it. Rather, she came here to gaze at the ocean, water being her one comfort in all this. Here, in the peace of her own mind, she could remember the day they met and all the travels and tribulations they shared together. Before she froze or was interrupted by a young couple, she turned on her heel and headed back to the gym, glancing at the ocean one last time.

Brock was seated on the couch mindlessly flipping through channels, trying to find something to watch. It was late at night and he had just returned from his breeder's shop tired and out of energy. Despite this, though, he couldn't seem to process the thought of going to sleep, feeling too awake to try. He figured that instead of watching T.V. he could maybe clean, but his apartment was already as clean as he could make it. He had already fed all the Pokemon and returned them to their Pokeballs so they, unlike him, could get a good night's sleep. He was now feeding for what felt like a mini army ever since he had received Ash's pokemon. He had taken Professor Oak on his offer of keeping some back at the lab, but he always made sure to switch them out so that all of them could get a chance to experience the familiarity of the lab.

The adjustment had been hard for them, not because they disliked Brock, but because they couldn't wrap their heads around the fact that their trainer wasn't coming back. At first they had thought that Ash had abandoned them, but he had gotten Pikachu to explain to the Pokemon what had happened. While certain Pokemon were able to carry on and accept what had happened to them, there were a few that changed with the events. For one, Pokemon such as Bayleef, Charizard, and Bulbasaur felt that if they had been there they could have saved Ash, while Ash's Oshawott didn't find interest in battling anymore. In hopes to gain his fighting spirit back, Brock had given him to Misty, but no matter how hard she tried, all it wanted to do was swim around in the pool.

Despite the changes the Pokemon had been going through, there was something that still bugged him. When he had been taking inventory of Ash's Pokemon to make sure all of them were there, he discovered that Ash's Totodile and Buizel were unaccounted for. What had puzzled Brock more wasn't that they were missing, but that Professor Oak seemed the least bit concerned that they were gone. It was as if he knew where they were but wouldn't tell Brock.

OOOO

The day before they left on their journey, they had been given a package filled with envelopes. Each envelope had been marked with a number that indicated when the sender wished them to open it. When they opened the package, the first envelope had been dated for the day they started their journey. Inside it was a short letter telling them about what they had in store for them on this journey, if they so wished to follow it. Upon unfolding the letter, they found a note card that was marked 1 and had a riddle written on it. While the letter had told them to head to Cerulean City, it never stated where in the city they should go. That, the letter had told them, was what the riddle would tell them. So, this is how a young trainer found themself standing in front of the doors of the center about to embark on the crazy goose chase they had been given. Before they left the center, they wanted to make sure they knew exactly where they were going in order to prevent getting lost. Pulling the first letter out, they flipped it open and reread the clue.

_1. Cerulean City_

_You have found yourself in Cerulean City, the city near the sea. To find the place you need to go, ask around for the one they call the Tomboy Mermaid. Where she resides is where you must head. Beware of her temper, for one wrong move will send her into a fit of rage. If she asks who you are, tell her; and if she inquires if you want a battle, tell her that you have come to obtain the victory that was rightfully mine. After your battle, ask her about the boy and the bike, but before you leave, give her the letter labeled, The Tomboy Mermaid and open the second letter addressed to you. _

Based on the research they had done, the Nurse Joy at the center had told them that the people around Cerulean referred to their gym leader as the Tomboy Mermaid. Joy was also kind enough to tell them that, in order to find the gym, they would want to look just outside the outskirts of town for a giant dome shaped building with a Dewgong on the front.

It had taken them a while, but they finally found the gym, its red and yellows breaking through the white snow. Walking to the door, they rang the intercom and waited patiently for someone to answer.

"Like, hello! Are you, like, here for a gym battle?" a voice came flowing through the intercom.

"Uh, yes."

"Okay. I'll, like, let you in," they replied back.

And just like the girl had said, the doors to the gym unlocked themselves and slid open, allowing the trainer to walk inside. When they reached the lobby, there were some couches where they could sit and wait for the gym leader to come find them. And that's exactly what the trainer did as they took in the warmth of the building and observed the giant aquarium. It was as if the leader had plucked part of the ocean and stuck it in her gym. The trainer watched as a Starmie swam by followed by a Corsola and a giant Gyarados. Amongst them were some Seaking and Goldeen, as well as a pokemon the trainer wasn't familiar with.

"Are you here for a battle?" a voice asked, interrupting their thoughts.

The trainer turned to see a woman looking back at them; her hands on her hips and an annoyed look on her face. The woman's red hair was pulled back into a low, side ponytail, her bangs swept to the side. Instead of a winter outfit the trainer had come in, the gym leader was wearing a blue swimsuit and green shorts.

"Are you the Tomboy Mermaid?" the trainer asked. This was the only way they could be sure that this was the person the letters wanted them to seek out.

"Yeah," the leader simply stated. "The name's Misty, though. I'm the leader of the Cerulean City gym."

"Then I've come to battle you for my Cascade badge," the trainer replied. "I've come to obtain the victory that was rightfully his."

"I see."

Misty had dealt with cocky trainers many times before, so for this one to claim they were going to win wasn't anything new. Misty just wasn't so sure what the trainer meant when they stated they were here to obtain a victory that was rightfully someone else's. Brushing it off, she instructed the trainer to follow her to the arena, explaining the rules of the battle on the way.

When Misty had first walked into the lobby to find the trainer, she had caught them looking at the giant aquarium. Since many trainers did this while they waited, this always gave Misty time to size up her competition and observe the trainer without them knowing. Based on her initial observation, the trainer-she determined it to be a girl- in front of her couldn't be more than ten years old, implying that she was a newbie. They were wearing a navy blue pea coat and grey scarf. On the girl's head, she had a blue and grey hat that had little puffballs attached to two strings that dangled from the earflaps. Although the hat hid most of her hair, Misty could just make out reddish brown hair.

"What's your name, kid?" Misty asked the girl.

"I'm Charlie," she replied. "It's um, a weird variation of Charlotte."

"Well, prepare to lose, Charlie."

OOOO

As Misty recalled her final Pokemon, she stood where she was, shocked by the outcome of the battle. She had lost to what she had originally thought to be a newbie trainer. Instead, though, the girl had sent out pokemon that were much stronger than what a beginner trainer should have. The girl had coached her Totodile to victory against Misty's Starmie, commanding it to use attacks beyond the knowledge of a newly acquired Totodile. After that, the girl had used a Buizel to take out Misty's Politoad Since this was a three on three battle, the girl only needed to defeat two of Misty's pokemon to earn the Cascade badge. After their battle, Misty finally managed to move her body from the platform and back onto the tiled floor. Instructing Charlie to once again follow her, she led the girl to her office where she kept her badges.

Charlie obediently followed Misty into her office where she found a Pikachu snoozing on a little bed on the gym leader's desk. When they entered the office, Pikachu's ears started to twitch as he reacted to the new sounds around him. When he spotted Misty, he let out a small sound of glee, happy to see her. As she passed by the desk, Misty gave Pikachu a small scratch between the ears, emitting a small, "Chaaa" from him. As Misty dug through her drawers for the badge, Pikachu observed Charlie with great curiosity. The little mouse didn't know what it was, but there was something about the girl that seemed almost familiar to him.

"I thought you were a water pokemon trainer?" Charlie asked. From her experience, most gym leaders tended to keep pokemon only of the type they trained. They didn't typically venture much into other types.

Misty glanced up for a second to see Charlie watching Pikachu watch her. Many times, she had been asked by trainers why she had a Pikachu when she was a water trainer. At first she didn't know what to say, debating if she should tell them the truth about how she obtained the Pikachu, or some lie. In the end, though, she had decided to keep it rather simple and without much room for other inquires.

"It's a friend of mine's."

"Oh. Okay." Satisfied with the answer, Charlie returned to observing Pikachu, trying to see if she could get the little mouse to let her pet it. Like Pikachu felt, there was something about the pokemon that seemed oddly familiar to Charlie. "Misty, can I ask you a question?"

"Uh, yeah." Normally her and the trainers didn't chat much after that match, only when she told them, congratulations, good luck, or train a bit harder and then come back. Having finally found the badge, she handed it over. "Here you go."

"Thanks," Charlie replied, taking the badge in her hand. Stuffing it into her bag, she turned back to Misty. "But, um, the boy and the bike? What's that mean?"

Misty stood there stunned by the girl's question. "What did you say?"

Even Pikachu perked up, understanding a bit of what Charlie had said.

"The boy and the bike," Charlie repeated. "Someone… they told me to ask you about it."

She hadn't been asked about him in years, avoiding discussing him whenever she could. But, here was this girl asking her about the one moment she went to the ocean almost every day to relive. Misty didn't know what to say. What puzzled her, too, was how the girl would know to ask that? Granted, she had said someone had told her to ask Misty. But still, how would she have run into someone who knew about such a personal story?

"A boy…he-he stole my bike when I was younger. He had gotten himself into some trouble with some Pokemon. I…I fished him out of the river and then he took my bike to try and escape. I found it later completely destroyed."

There. She had told Charlie what she wanted to know without giving specifics about who the boy was or the fact that she had followed him for years to get that darned bike back. She didn't have to tell the girl that she had grown to love the boy she traveled with to the point where she didn't care about her bike so much anymore. And, she didn't have to tell the girl that he had passed away and that the Pikachu sitting on her desk was his.

Charlie nodded; happy to receive the information the note card had told her to seek out. She could sense that Misty was slowly becoming uncomfortable with the situation and that she was quickly overstaying her welcome. So, with one final thank you, she pulled the letter addressed to the gym leader and placed it on her desk.

"For you," she stated. Misty looked up to see Charlie place the white envelope on her desk before giving Pikachu a pat on the head and turning around to leave.

OOOO

After Charlie left, Misty found herself staring at the letter as if it was about to blow up any second. _The Tomboy Mermaid_, it read on the front, reflecting the nickname the town of Cerulean had given her. She didn't know what would happen when she opened the letter, nor did she know who had given the girl the letter. All she could conclude was that it must have been the same person who told her the boy and the bike thing and who she was obtaining a victory for. Knowing she wouldn't know any of this until she opened the envelope, she picked it up and sat down in her desk chair. Placing her thumb under the flap of the envelope, she slid it across, breaking the seal. When she peered into the envelope, she found folded up a pieces of paper that appeared to have writing all over them.

_Mist, _

_So what'd you think? She's beautiful, isn't she? I think so, too. Her name's Charlotte-but I call her Charlie-and she's ten years old. I hope you weren't too hard on her and that you didn't scare her away. (I tired to warn her.) Did she beat you? If she did, that victory was the one I rightfully earned when I battled you fourteen years ago. How's Pikachu? I hope he's holding up well._

_Right now, you're probably wondering who she exactly is, who I am, and why she handed you this letter. If you already scanned to the bottom of the letter or you picked up on the nickname or anything else I just wrote, than you know that this is Ash Ketchum. If you didn't, then...well…um, surprise? Anyways, Charlie, well, she's kind of my daughter. (Surprise again?) I know, I know. Didn't expect that one, right? Probably wondering when it happened, too. I'll get to that, I promise. Right now, I want to tell you why I sent her. _

_I sent her for many reasons, one of them being that, if I don't make it out of this cave in time, she'll live her life barely remembering anything about me. And it's because of that I created these series of envelopes and clues for her to follow when she starts her journey. I wanted her to meet you so you could tell her all about me, both the good and the bad. In a separate letter addressed to her, she'll find out who you are and why I sent her here like I'm telling you now. She's lost, Misty. She doesn't have any family left to turn to, and she barely knows anything about the one she did. In a way, she's kind of like you were. (I'll let you make the connection on your own.) So, I sent her on a search to find those people she can call her family –and maybe learn a little about her dad along the way._

_The other reason I sent her was that I know you need her, Mist. I know you, and I have a feeling you've been dealing with my death the only way you know how: by staying strong and pretending you're okay. I know you're not okay, though. And, I know that you're angry with me. You want to know why I would abandon you and Brock without a goodbye for four years. At first I didn't know why I did it aside from the fact that some instinct told me to run away. That instinct I would soon learn was fear. (It's funny what you begin to realize when your life suddenly becomes jeopardized.) I know you remember that day and everything from where we were to what we did. And if I'm right, you remember the phone call I received at the center. Well, let me tell you. That phone call changed my life in more ways than one. It was an old friend of mine from Pallet. I had ran into her a year before that when Brock took me out to celebrate my victory in the…some tournament. Anyways, I celebrated a little too much…and yeah… I'm sure you can guess where I'm going with this. When I found out, I knew I had to do something immediately-she was already a year old. I didn't know how to tell you two, so I did the only thing I knew how to do; I ran away. I was scared. (I admit it.) I told myself that once I got this whole thing sorted out, I would contact you and Brock and explain everything. _

_The years went by, though, and I still could never gain the courage to tell you. That girl I met…she left after the second year, leaving me to take care of Charlie all by myself. I opened the training school because I needed money to take care of her. After about the fourth year of leaving you guys in the dark, I realized I needed to make amends. I needed to grow up and face what I had been running from. Not just for myself, but also for the daughter I was now raising on my own. I called you first, knowing you would probably have taken this harder than Brock. When I called you, though, you pushed me away. You had every right to. I just wish I hadn't had given up so easily. I wish I had kept trying to get you to hear me out. I didn't, though. And now here I am anticipating my death as Team Rocket of all people tries to save me. How did I end up here, Mist?_

_Am I scared to die? I mean I've come so close to it so many times, you would think I would be expecting it around every corner. That one-day my blessings in disguise-such as you –would no longer be waiting to rescuing me. I've cheated death so many times you would think that fate had finally caught up to me. But I am scared. I don't want to die; I'm only twenty-four. My life has changed and I've grown up. I have people like my daughter who need me. I have so many things that I have yet to do: Achieve my dream, introduce you and Brock to my daughter, and know what it's like to kiss you. I have to tell you that I love you in person, but I'll never get to do that. Not unless Team Rocket can save me in time. I promised you I'd always be there for you, but I let you down. But I'm still a bit selfish, so I'm going to ask you to do something for me. I want you to take care of Charlie. You don't have to adopt her or anything; she has somewhere to live. I just want you to watch out for her and make sure she doesn't get into too much trouble. (I'll warn you, she takes after me in that area.)_

_The next place I'm sending her is to Pewter where she'll meet Brock. So, I ask that you not say anything to him nor to my mom or Gary. I promise you, though, that you will see her again. Just wait to find her until after she's completed this. I'm sorry this is how you finally have to hear about everything that happened to me. As some final parting words, I just want to tell you something. You are the strongest person I know-and I don't just mean physical strength. You are my best friend and I owe you so much (not just a bike either.) You are an amazing gym leader, and you won't take crap from cocky, newbie trainers who think they're the biggest things since the elite four. I'm proud of you for everything you've accomplished and done for the gym. I wish I could be there to see you continue to do great things (cause I know you will), but fate has something else in mind for me. Just know that I'll be watching over you and take care of Pikachu and Charlotte for me. Tell Pikachu that I love him. _

_Love, _

_Ash. _

Words couldn't describe how Misty was feeling after she read the letter. The whole thing had become a roller coaster of emotions that left her exhausted. She had started out confused before she quickly turned surprised when she discovered the big secret her friend had been hiding from her for so long. Then, however, she quickly turned angry, yet, she continued to read the letter. She felt her anger disappear sometime in the middle of the fourth paragraph when she started feeling sympathy for the position he had been in. Yes, he had been irresponsible, and he had gone about it all in the wrong way, but he ended up doing the right thing. As she started to read the second to last paragraph, that's when she let the tears fall. She had never thought Ash Ketchum to be one to ever admit he was scared about something. But when he admitted that he was scared of dying, she felt something toward him that she couldn't describe. She knew she would never hear him actually speak the words she had longed to hear, but somehow, reading them in a letter was good enough for her. As she folded up the pages of the letter, she realized what she had to do. Looking up, her eyes met those of the concerned Pikachu sitting in front of her, its head tilted to the side.

"He loves you, Pikachu."

OOOO

After leaving the gym leader with the letter, Charlie left the gym with her brand new cascade badge. Once she reached the center, she dropped off her Pokemon before heading to her room. Once there, she reached into her bag and pulled out the envelope labeled 2. It was the one that she was meant to open after she had visited the home of the Tomboy Mermaid. Breaking the seal, she opened up the envelope and pulled out the letter.

_Charlie, _

_Did you beat her? I sure hope you did. In case she didn't tell you, her name's Misty. I hope you were able to avoid ticking her off. If you didn't, well, I'm terribly sorry. I promise you, though, that deep down she's a great person. I know you want to know why I sent you here. I wanted you to meet someone who I never got the chance to properly introduce to you myself. You see, Charlie. That kid that stole her bike was me. On the first day of my journey I had managed to anger a flock of Spearow, (I advise you not to do that) and they chased me and all the way to a waterfall. After being sucked up in the rushing currents of the river, her fishing line hooked on to me and she pulled me out of the river. In order to escape, I stole her bike. In the end, however, Pikachu ended up destroying it. She chased me all the way to the Pokemon Center in Viridian City, demanding that I pay her back for her bike. After that, she followed me around, claiming that she would leave when I paid her back for the bike. That never happened, though, and she ended up following me for a long, long time._

_To basically sum it up, Misty is my best friend. She hates carrots, peppers, and bugs, and she's the biggest romantic I have ever met. She's quick tempered, easily angered, competitive and prideful. But become her friend, and she'll do anything for you. I've told her who you are and your connection to me in the letter I told you to give her. Whenever you need her, she'll be there to help you. If you ever have any problems or need advice about anything, she can help you. I know she needs you, Charlie. More than she's willing to admit. So when you've completed all the tasks and answered all the riddles, head back to Cerulean City and spend some time with her. Ask her anything you want about me, no matter how hard it may be. _

_By the way, did you happen to spot a Pikachu around the gym? If so, that used to be my Pikachu. You two used to play together when you were little, and he would protect you from any harm. If you see him again, make sure to give him a nice scratch between the ears and maybe a ketchup packet or two. _

_I want you now to head to Pewter City to check off riddle and task number two. Just like before, the clue is inside this envelope. I love you, and I wish you the best of luck. _

_Your father_

Again, she was off in search of another piece to the puzzle of the life of a father she barely remembered. The first one had led her to Cerulean City, while this one was telling her to head to Pewter. What she would find there she wasn't sure of. Slipping the letter back into the envelope, she pulled out the note card that contained riddle number two.

_2. Pewter City_

_When you've reached Pewter City, ask Nurse Joy for the one her and her family all dread the presence of. If at first they don't understand, tell them you are looking for the one who feels they need to flirt with every attractive girl. When you find them, say you have a letter from Misty. When they inquire about it, hand them the letter labeled, Ladies Man. If they offer for you to stay, I advise that you do if you wish to enjoy one of the best meals of your life. When you depart, open the next letter and head to your next destination._


	3. The Ladies Man

_Always gone that extra mile_  
><em>Depended on you all the while<em>  
><em>Even in the good and bad times<em>

"Welcome to the Pewter City Pokemon Center, how may I help you?" Nurse joy greeted Charlie when she walked in.

"I'm looking for someone," she told Joy.

"No problem. Just tell me their name and I'll look them up for you," she offered.

"I don't know their name," Charlie admitted.

As Charlie had quickly learned, her father never mentioned the real names of the people he wanted her to seek out until after she met them. He would only give her nicknames and clues to lead her in the direction he wanted her to go. She knew that if she really wanted to, she could go ahead and cheat right now and read all the letters and find out everything her father wanted her to. She couldn't do that, though. She would feel like she threw her father's hard work down the drain, and that somehow, he would find out. So, for now, she just had to go on what was given to her.

"Oh. Well, in that case, can you describe them for me?"

Nurse Joy really wanted to help this girl, but she didn't know how much she could based on a description of a person she had no idea if she'd met before.

"Sure. They're apparently known as quite the Ladies Man, and they like to flirt with pretty girls. Also, I guess your family dreads the presence of them…"

Charlie knew the description was odd and probably not what Nurse Joy had anticipated, but like she said, her father didn't really give her normal descriptions. They were all based on the person's personality, nicknames, or relationships to other people instead of looks or height.

Nurse Joy couldn't help but let out a small giggle, knowing exactly whom the girl was talking about. Although she personally hadn't seen the man in her center in a while, she still remembered when he would stop by every day to ask her out.

"I think you're looking for Brock," Nurse Joy told her. "He used to be the gym leader here. He runs his own breeding center now. Give me one second, and I'll look up the address."

"Thank you."

_So another gym leader_, Charlie thought to herself. She really hoped her dad hadn't sent her out on a mission to drop off envelopes to each of the eight gym leaders. Although it would make it easier for her to narrow down whom each person would be, she had to admit it would become less exciting for her. Although she had been a bit skeptical about this whole envelope mission thing, she had found that she was staring to enjoy it. She had always wanted to know more about her dad aside from the pictures she had been given, but the person she lived with always told her to wait. Plus, besides them, she didn't know anyone else who knew her father well enough to answer the questions she wanted to know.

"Alright, I'll just write this down and then you can be on your way. I suggest you hurry. The shop closes in about an hour and it's closed tomorrow for his day off."

After Nurse Joy had written the address down on a piece of paper and given her directions to head left, she handed it to Charlie. Giving the nurse one last thank you, Charlie headed out of the center in search of the address on the paper.

It took Charlie a little bit to find the store, having turned down the wrong street a few times, but after about fifteen minutes, she finally found it. It was a small little shop with big glass windows, a green awning, and a blue door underneath. Compared to the other buildings around it, it was rather colorful. Taking a deep breath, Charlie pushed open the glass door and walked in, a little bell dinging to announce her arrival.

"Just a minute!" she heard a voice call from somewhere in the store.

Standing where she was, Charlie started glancing around the store, observing the numerous shelves that were stocked with potions, Pokemon food, brushes, shampoos, and various Pokemon care items. She couldn't see everything, but she was pretty sure that a trainer could find whatever they wanted here.

"Welcome. How may I help you?" the same voice asked her.

Turning around she came face to face with a rather tall man. He had brown, spiky hair and, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't quite figure out what color his eyes were-or where they were for that matter. It kind of freaked her out. Despite the slightly frightening appearance, the man had a big smile on his face and he looked eager to help Charlie in anyway he could.

"Um, are you Brock?" Charlie asked. "Or by any chance someone who goes by Ladies Man?"

"Ladies Man, huh? Whom have you been talking to?" Brock chuckled. Whoever this girl had talked to, he needed to meet them if they thought he was such a Ladies Man. "But I'm Brock. What's your name?"

"I'm Charlotte," Charlie told him. "But my dad calls me Charlie…or called me Charlie. Anyways, I have a letter for you from Misty."

"Misty?" Brock asked puzzled.

He had no idea why Misty would be sending him a letter, especially why she would be having a little girl send it to him. He would have thought if Misty needed anything she would have just called or visited him like she normally did. He really hoped nothing happened to her.

"Yeah." Pulling the envelope out of her backpack, she handed it over to Brock. "Here."

When Brock received the letter, he knew he needed to read it now in case it was something urgent, but he didn't want to keep Charlie waiting. But, the worry of what the letter might say beat out his sympathy toward making the girl wait.

"Um, I'm going to read this real quick. If you want, you can wait here. I'm sorry."

"No problem," Charlie assured him.

Giving a quick thank you, Brock rushed into his back room, where he sat down and opened the envelope so he could read the letter. As he started to read it, however, it became very clear that Misty was in fact not the sender of the letter.

_Brock,_

_How are you? Are you married, yet? Did you ever get that date with Nurse Joy or Officer Jenny-or any girl? I sure hope so. Let me first start by saying that Misty never sent you this letter. I mean think about it. Would she ever willing call you a Ladies Man? Yeah, that's what I thought. (Then again, I don't think I would either.) But I needed you to read this letter as soon as you could, and I knew that if I told Charlie to tell you it was from Misty, you would read it right away. Anyways, just so you know, this is Ash. When you get the chance, take a good look at the girl. (By the way, I hope your siblings didn't try to flirt on her.) Does she look like anyone you know? If at first you aren't so sure, look at her eyes. (I've been told she has my eyes.) Now you're smart Brock, so I know you just figured out the connection between that last sentence and Charlie. Yep. Charlie is better well known as Charlotte Ketchum._

_I found out about her that year that I left you and Misty. You remember that day you took me to celebrate my victory in some tournament? If so, you might remember a girl I knew from Pallet. Well, despite my better judgment, (although, I don't really know if that exits for me) I took her up on her offer to hang out with her for the rest of the evening. Like I said, you're smart, so I'm sure you can guess what occurred that evening. Needless to say, she called me that day I left to tell me that there was a one-year old baby girl who would change my life. So, knowing I had to do something, (I didn't want to be like my own father) I left, too afraid to take the time to tell you and Misty the truth of the situation. _

_How are my Pokemon doing? I'm sorry to have given you such a burden, but you were one of the few people I thought would be best for them. You've been with them for so long because you traveled with me so long, that I was confident they would be comfortable with you. I sent Pikachu to Misty because something told me that they would need each other to deal with what has happened. Plus, we all know Pikachu's always had a soft spot for Misty. If you've counted my Pokemon right, I'm sure you've noticed that there are two in particular that are unaccounted for. They aren't with you because I gave them to Charlie. Professor Oak has always known where they've been, but I asked him not to say anything to you because of what I had planned out. _

_You're probably curious as to why a dead guy has sent his ten-year old daughter to you. Well, you see, I've set up something like a scavenger hunt for Charlie as she goes on her journey. During those four years, I wanted more than anything to introduce her to everyone, but I could never gain the courage to. So, now as I'm sit here anticipating what might be my death, I came up with this crazy idea to have Charlie find everyone herself. I want her to meet you guys even though I couldn't personally introduce her to everyone, and find out about a father she barely remembers. So, don't be afraid to tell her both the good and bad about me, and don't be afraid to ask her questions about her life. _

_There's also another reason I sent her. Since I'm not around anymore, and her mother left, she doesn't have much of a family. More importantly, though, she doesn't have much of a father figure. You had always been that to me Brock, so, if it's not too much trouble, could you do the same for Charlie? Could you advise her in battling (Maybe in her upcoming battle against a family member of yours?) like you advised me, and make sure that she stays out of trouble? Maybe, you could even cook her one of your famous meals. I know she'd like that._

_If you're wondering where you are in this line up, you're stop number two. I've already sent her to meet Misty and after this, I'm sending her to Vermillion next. She's got a long way to go, but she can't get there on her own. So, again, I have to ask you for a small favor. Could you call May, Max and Dawn for me? (I'd ask Misty to do it, but you know them much better than she does.) Attached to this letter is a small note card that has directions for when you call them. (Please do this ASAP). When they ask you why, tell them you'll just explain everything when they get there. Do whatever you can, but don't tell them what it's for. _

_I appreciate everything you've ever done for me Brock. I know you've taken good care of Misty and my mother for me, but I want you to remember to take care of yourself, too. You don't have to always do everything for everyone; they need to learn to do things on their own. I wish you the best of luck in your life, and I hope that you can help Charlie out. Until we meet again. _

_Your friend, _

_Ash_

_P.S. Professor Ivy…(sorry I couldn't resist)_

OOOO

After Brock had disappeared, Charlie found an empty seat by the window where she sat down and pulled out the letter labeled 3. She knew that technically she wasn't supposed to open the letter until she departed the store, but she figured if Brock was reading the one she gave him now, she could read hers, too. Plus, she was anxious to discover why her father had sent her here and what the breeder's connection to her father was. So, flipping open the letter, she began to read.

_Charlie, _

_I hope you were able to find him okay. I also hope that none of his brothers tried to flirt with you. He's got eight brothers and sisters you know? He's the oldest and the one that has pretty much taken care of them their entire lives. He's like a super hero who does it all: he cooks, he cleans, he sews, and he played the role of Pewter City's gym leader. His only downside is that he seems to find every girl attractive-especially Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny-and attempts to ask them on dates only to be shot down. A lesson to be learned form him, though, is that never give up no matter how slim your chances might be. _

_I met Brock when Misty and I first came to Pewter City and I battled him. I lost the first time, thinking that my Pikachu could actually beat his Onix. But after some intense training and setting off the sprinkler system in the gym, I won. After that Brock asked if he could tag along with Misty and I, hoping it would help him get closer to achieving his hopes of becoming a Pokemon Breeder. Throughout my journey, Brock would be the most consistent thing I had, following me all the way to the region of Unova-with a small departure while I was in the Orange Islands. _

_I brought you to Brock because I know that he'll become a father figure to you in due time. He was one to me, and he was always there if I needed advice or got into trouble. So, I advise you to use Brock to your advantage and never be afraid to ask for help because he loves helping people. Listen to him because he knows what he's talking about. (But, um, don't ask him for love advice…find someone else for that.) Lastly, Brock was there the night I met your mother. So, if you feel up to it, go ahead and ask him. This is your journey, Charlie. What you ask and what you want to learn is up to you. I'm just here to advise you in the direction you need to go. So, when you've enjoyed a nice, home cooked meal and gotten that boulder badge, (hopefully in a more conventional way than your father) take out the note card and head to the port city of Vermilion. _

_Love, _

_Your father_

OOOO

Brock didn't know if he wanted to laugh or cry. His best friend, the kid he had always thought of another sibling to take care of, had gone and had a kid of his own. While this explained everything about why Ash had left and why he hadn't contacted him, he had still wished that he could've gotten to see his friend be a father. But, because he was no longer around, he had asked Brock to take over that position for him. And, because Brock knew that he could never say no to a person in need of help-especially a friend-he promised himself that he would help Charlie the best that he could. So, folding the pages of the letter back up, he slipped it into a drawer –he'd call the people Ash wanted him to later-and headed back out to the girl waiting for him.

When he walked back into the store, he spotted Charlie sitting on a chair by the window, looking out the window while she waited. Although he could clearly see her, it was hard to believe that she was actually sitting in his store. The way she was seated and the way she moved around every now and then, reminded him so much of Ash. He couldn't help but think that this was fate's way of making it up to him for taking away his friend.

"Hey, Charlie. Would you like to stay over for dinner?" Brock offered. The least he could do for her now was give her a place to stay and a warm, home cooked meal.

"That'd be great." And as Charlie gave him a grateful smile, he could have sworn he saw he saw a glance of his friend on her face.

So that night, while Charlie made her way through a meal of rice balls and lazy-boy-no chew-stew, she discussed strategy with Brock about her upcoming gym battle. _It's like he's sitting right here,_ Brock caught himself thinking. Like Ash had said, Charlie had his eyes; the eyes that Misty always said were a window to how Ash was really feeling. It wasn't just the eyes that Charlie shared with Ash. She had his smile and shared many of the same expressions he had. The way she had paced around his apartment, touching and examining everything reminded him of Ash as well. They had to always keep moving or doing something, never able to sit still in one spot for very long.

"Do you remember much about him?" Brock asked. He knew Ash had said Charlie would probably not remember much because of how young she had been, but he wanted to know if she remembered anything at all. Charlie was Brock's only way of finding out about his friend in those four years he had gone missing.

"I don't remember a whole lot, but I remember some stuff," she started to explain. Setting her elbow on the table, she rested her head on the palm of her hand while she thought. "I remember every Friday night since I was three, we would go out and get ice cream and I'd always get vanilla while he'd get chocolate. When we finished eating our ice cream, we would get a movie and go back home. While we watched the movie, I'd always lay on his lap, and when I would fall asleep he would carry me up to my bed."

For a second, she could picture herself on her father's lap as they sat together on an old red sofa, her pink blanket clutched in her hands. She remembered he always smelled like the outdoors, and that he'd always brush the hair out of her eyes.

Brock was glad that Charlie trusted him enough to open up and share the memories with him, but he wasn't really being the speaker now; he was the listener. If she asked him a question, he would answer it for her. But right now, he wanted to learn more about Charlie and what she remembered while she was here now. Plus, the more he learned about her, the better he could help her out.

"What do you remember about him?" Charlie asked, turning the tables on him.

"Well, for one, your dad followed his heart. He rarely ever did anything he was told to, instead doing whatever he wanted. He seemed to always get himself into trouble because he was a risk taker, never thinking about the consequences of his actions until after. But, he cared about everyone, and would always lend a hand wherever he could. What always stuck out to me, though, was how no matter how old he was, he remained a kid at heart."

Charlie felt herself smiling a bit. It was her dad who had taught her many things one does as a kid from climbing a tree to how to properly jump in a rain puddle. After a big storm, he would dress her in her Mudkip themed raincoat and her pink rain boots before taking her around town so she could get some fresh air and jump in the puddles. It had always been things like that, where they consistently happened, she remembered and missed the most.

As she stared at her dad's friend, what her dad had said in the letter came back to her. She had always wanted to know more about her mom; her dad never liked to talk about her. But, for some reason, knowing the answer scared her. Would it be what she had expected, or would it be something really sad? She had never known what happened to her mom; she had been there one day, and then the next she was just gone. As long as she could remember, it had always been just her and her dad. To suddenly add one person into that picture seemed scary. So, after much deliberation, she finally decided that she would ask later.

OOOO

The next day, with a shiny, new boulder badge in her hand, Charlie found herself standing on the doorstep of Brock's home getting ready to say goodbye to Brock and his family.

"Thank you for everything," Charlie told Brock.

She truly was grateful, too. He had given her a nice meal and bed, advice about battling, and support in the battle itself. And as Brock cheered her on, Charlie couldn't help but feel glad that her father had sent her on this quest. He couldn't be there for her the way she hoped he could, but she could feel his presence in his friends, pushing her forward in her journey.

"Before you go, take these," Brock told her, pulling two Pokeballs out of his pocket. "They're your dad's Bayleef and Donphan. It only makes sense that you put them to good use. Plus, they'll be useful in your next gym battle."

Although the offer was very nice, Charlie felt she couldn't just take Pokemon. "I can't take these. It's not right. I should catch Pokemon on my own."

"I know. But, being cooped up here isn't very good for them. They miss traveling with a trainer and battling, so I figured they would enjoy your company." With that, Brock grabbed Charlie's arm and placed the Pokeballs in her hand before closing it. "Take them. You have plenty of time to catch your own Pokemon."

"I-Thank you, Brock. I really appreciate it."

_Maybe he's right_, she thought to herself. She would have plenty of time to catch her own Pokemon, and, even though he wasn't here, her dad wanted to try and be there for her. So, by using his Pokemon to help her in her battles, she was both helping them out and getting help from her dad.

"You're welcome, Charlie," he replied, stepping forward to give her a hug. "If you ever need anything, you know where to find me."

As Charlie walked away, a part of her knew that she would miss Brock and his family, but that she would meet them again. Only her dad knew the answer to that, but in due time, she hoped to discover the answer herself. For now, though, a new riddle needed solving, and a new person needed to be searched for at some location in Kanto.

_3. Vermilion City _

_When in the port city of Kanto, look for the one that spends their time sketching and observing Pokemon. If you want, ask to see some of their sketches. Before you go, hand them an envelope labeled, The Watcher, and ask them to teach you how to draw a sketch or two. I'd personally like a Pikachu._


	4. The Watcher

_So take the photographs, and still frames in your mind_  
><em> Hang it on a shelf in good health and good time<em>  
><em> Tattoos of memories and dead skin on trial<em>  
><em> For what it's worth it was worth all the while<em>

It had taken her almost two weeks to get to Vermilion, having to backtrack her way there and having to get, well, acquainted with the Pokemon she had been given by Brock. While the Donphan had no problem getting used to her being its new trainer, her father's Bayleef caused her a lot of trouble. For one, it started freaking out when she first released it, not recognizing where it was or who she was. Then, when it smelled her-or at least, that's what she thought caused it-it tackled her and waved the leaf on its head in her face. Then, when she tried to practice battling with the Donphan, it got really mad and tackled poor Donphan out of the way. It was only when she practiced battling with Bayleef did it finally calm down a bit. At that point, she wasn't so sure if she should be thanking her father for the Pokemon, or asking him why she had been given one of his-at least in her opinion- most difficult Pokemon? Eventually, though, she had somehow gotten Bayleef to listen to her enough for her to be able to battle with it.

So, while she sat down on a bench with her Bayleef, she watched the people walk by, all in a hurry to get to wherever they needed to be. She knew that anyone of these people could be the person her dad wanted her to find, but which one was it? Unlike the other clues, her dad hadn't given a hint to what gender the person was, making it even more difficult than last time. Plus, it didn't help her case much when Bayleef decided to try and sit on her lap, getting angry when she pushed it away.

"Bayleef, stop!" she yelled at the Pokemon after it had tried to jump in her lap for the third time.

If Charlie's father had been there with her, he would have been able to warn her about the Pokemon's sensitive emotions that only spiked when it was yelled at.

"Bay!" It yelled at her, sending a razor leaf her way. After that, it turned around and started to run away.

"Hey! Wait!" Charlie yelled after the Pokemon, hoping off the bench to chase after it.

Pushing her way through the crowds-with a few excuse mes here and there-she tried her best to follow the Pokemon. It only proved harder when she got caught in a sea of people who had just gotten off a ship. _Stupid Pokemon! Where's the warning about that one, dad? Worst. Pokemon. Ever. _Once the crowd had moved out of her way, she continued to run straight ahead, hoping she would catch sight of her Bayleef once more.

"AH!" she heard a lady scream. Turning her head in the direction of the sound, she spotted her Bayleef standing over a woman who it had tackled to the ground. Regardless of the fact that he was dead, Charlie had some choice words for her dad right then and there. First his stupid Pokemon had attacked her and ran off; and then it had knocked down a lady. "Like, get off of me!"

As Charlie got closer to the lady so that she could rescue her, she saw a man walk up, his interest peaking at the sight of Bayleef. Ironically, when he came closer to the lady, Bayleef backed off and started to take a greater interest in him.

"Wow! What a strong Bayleef," the man raved about the Pokemon in front of him. He suddenly started to circle it, taking measurements of its body and examining the leaf on its head. When he was done, he stepped back and pulled out a little notebook from his pocket. "That can't be possible…"

"Like, stop looking at the Pokemon and help me up!" the woman yelled at the man.

"Oh, sorry," he replied, his face turning red in embarrassment. Leaning down, he extended his hand to the woman and pulled her up.

When the woman stood up, she brushed the dirt off her skirt and turned to face the man, her hands on her hips and a ticked off expression on her face. When she saw his puzzled face, though, her peeved face turned into one of concern.

"What's wrong?"

"I must have measured something wrong," the man explained as he scratched his chin in puzzlement. "All the measurements of this Pokemon match those of the Bayleef Ash had. But that's not possible because Bayleef is supposed to be with Professor Oak or Brock. And, I'm pretty sure neither of them are here."

Just then, Charlie walked up, her face bright red from the embarrassment her Bayleef had caused. "I'm really sorry my Bayleef tackled you," Charlie apologized to the woman, scratching the back of her neck in nervousness. She really hoped the woman didn't sue her or call the police. "It got mad at me for some reason and then ran off."

"The expressions, the mannerisms, the eyes, the face. They're all the same," the man muttered to himself, worrying Charlie a bit. He kept looking at her with a look of puzzlement, as he listed off…Well, she really didn't know what he was doing, except that he was comparing her to someone. "But, that's not possible. He never had a daughter."

Breaking eye contact with Charlie, the woman turned her eyes toward the man standing next to her. "Like, what are you talking about, Tracey?"

"Ash," he stated, gesturing toward Charlie. "She looks and acts just like him. Plus, she has his Bayleef. But Ash never had a daughter."

"You knew my dad?" Charlie asked Tracey. If this man knew her dad, than the chances of him being the person she was supposed to find only increased.

"I don't believe it…" Tracey awed. He just stood there shaking his head, amazed that his friend had gone and had a kid without him knowing. "But, I guess yes. I knew your dad. We used to travel together."

"Are you The Watcher?" Charlie asked, pretty sure she had found the right person. "The one who spends their time observing and sketching Pokemon?"

"Yeah. That's me," the man beamed proudly. "I'm Tracey Sketchit, and this is my girlfriend, Daisy."

"Like, hi. I can't believe you're, like, Ash Ketchum's daughter. My baby sister's going to be, like, so shocked."

"I'm Charlie," she introduced herself. Taking off her bag, Charlie kneeled on the ground so that she could open her bag and search for the letter she was supposed to give Tracey. When she finally found it, she pulled it out and handed it over to him. "Here. This is for you."

"Uh thanks. Am I supposed to open this now?"

"Whenever," Charlie shrugged. Her dad had never really specified when someone was supposed to open the envelope they were given.

"Like, read it now, Tracey!" Daisy ordered, eager to see what was inside. "But, let's, like go inside first. I'm freezing out here!"

OOOO

_Trace, _

_How are you doing? Gary told me that you started dating Daisy and that you moved to Vermilion with her. He said something about Daisy getting a job on a cruise ship? That's pretty cool.  
><em>

_Anyways, I promise you that you aren't just seeing things. Charlie is really my daughter, and she's ten years old. I have a feeling that with your skills as a Pokemon Watcher, you were able to pick up on a few things that she shared with me. So, I'm here to tell you that your instincts were right. She has just recently started her journey, and as part of it, I have given her a series of riddles to find certain people in each of the towns she goes to. So far, I've sent her to Cerulean and Pewter where she's met Misty and Brock. They both got letters like the one you are reading now, explaining what is happening and who she is. My hope is that, through the people she meets, she will be able to learn things about becoming a trainer and about the dad she didn't know very well. So, don't be afraid to share a story or two about me, or give her some tips on training Pokemon. _

_The reason I sent her to you is that I wanted her to meet my friends so that she realizes that there is a group of people who love her and will be there to help her whenever she needs it. I figured that you would be the best candidate to help her learn about all the different kinds of Pokemon and how to properly take care of them. In addition, she would probably love it if you showed her a few of your sketches and gave her a little drawing lesson. I'm not quite sure if she has the skills of an artist, but the drawings and paintings that I used to put on the fridge weren't half bad. She's a bright kid, and she's always eager to learn something new about Pokemon._

_I'm sure you're probably wondering how I of all people had a daughter without anyone knowing. And if you're not, well, I'm going to tell you anyway. Basically, I met this girl I used to know in Pallet about 11 years ago. Well, one thing led to another and with the help of some alcohol… yeah. Anyways, I got a call about two years after that from her telling me that she had a one-year-old girl who was my daughter. When I found out, I got really scared and I ran away from Misty and Brock without telling them what happened. Well, over the four years that I had been missing, I kept fighting with myself about introducing her to everyone. I really wanted my daughter to meet the people I loved, but as the years went on, it only got harder. So, as I sat here while Team Rocket tries to get me out, I concocted this plan of her going on her journey and meeting these people along the way. My hope was that each person would teach her something, or help her out. So, if it's not too much trouble, could you help her out like you helped me? Thanks again for everything you've ever done for me. I wish you the best of luck in your research. _

_Your friend,_

_Ash. _

Tracey wouldn't lie. He was thrilled at the idea of teaching somebody how to sketch Pokemon. By doing this, he hopped that maybe he could get another person to become a Pokemon Watcher. He just felt there really weren't enough of them. In addition to that, he couldn't wait to share with Charlie the adventures he had shared with her dad. So, folding the letter back up and placing it in his bag, he proceeded to pull out a few sketchbooks. If he was going to share some stories about Ash with Charlie, then he was going to do it the only way he knew how: through pictures. And, if he needed anything explained in great detail, he always had Daisy to help him out.

"What are those?" Charlie asked. She had been sitting with Daisy on a couch opposite Tracey, waiting for him to finish the letter.

"Sketchbooks," he replied as he set a stack of them on the table between them. Scooting the table a bit closer to him, he patted the empty spot next to him, inviting Charlie to join him. Standing up, Charlie walked over and sat next to Tracey. Picking up the first sketchbook in the pile, Tracey opened it up to a page that had a picture of a surprised looking Ash with a Pikachu on his shoulder. "That's from when I first met him. He was trying to stop these trainers from hurting a baby Lapras. His Pikachu just looked so well taken care of that I just had to sketch it."

The picture was slightly faded due to the amount of time it had been since it was sketched, but Charlie could see the expression on her dad's face that she recognized from some pictures. To her, he looked so young and different with his height being much shorter and his clothes being very child like. Even the Pikachu on his shoulder looked different than the one she had seen in Misty's office. It still had the big eyes, but the one in the picture looked alive and happy, while the one in Misty office looked sad and drained.

When he thought Charlie was done viewing the picture, Tracey flipped through the sketchbook to a page of Ash in the middle of an intense battle with a Squirtle. In the picture, she recognized the same determination on her dad's face that she had seen when he would participate in Pokemon battles when she was younger. Although she didn't really remember much, the pictures and stories seemed to jog her memory of little things about her dad that had been somewhere in the back of her brain.

"Your dad competed in the Orange League while we were in the Orange Islands. We traveled to the different islands so that he could collect the badges from the Orange Crew members. He ended up collecting them all and beating the champion."

"He never told me that…" Charlie muttered under her breath. Whenever she would ask her had about when he was a trainer, he would just tell her that he traveled around and collected badges just like everyone else did. Apparently, though, there had been much more to it than just him collecting badges. He'd actually gone and won a league to become the champion.

The next picture he showed her was a sketch of what she thought to be her dad sitting on the back of a giant flying bird. "I got this sketch when we were on Shamuti Island. There was a giant fight between the three legendary birds, and with the help of the Pokemon, Lugia, your dad helped save the world from destruction. It was probably one of the coolest things I've ever experienced."

Again, Charlie had never heard about this before from her dad or from anyone for that matter. She knew that part of this journey was for her to find out about her dad, but it appeared that her dad was much greater than he led on. He was a hero who had saved the world, and he had never once mentioned that to her. Why?

"You're really good," Charlie complimented Tracey. "Do you think you could teach me how to sketch something?"

"I'd love to!" he smiled. "What do you want to learn how to sketch?"

"A Pikachu."

OOOO

So, for the rest of the night, Charlie spent the time practicing how to sketch Pikachu and flipping through the sketchbooks, as Tracey told her the stories behind each one. She learned about how her father had traveled around the islands on the baby Lapras mentioned earlier, and that the gym leader, Misty had been with Tracey and him as well. In one of the pictures Tracey had sketched, her dad was arguing with Misty, something Tracey had told her they did all the time. To Charlie, the pictures Tracey showed her were like a giant story book of a chapter in her dad's life that he had never told her about. She knew he had traveled to other regions, but she never knew anything about his experiences until now. All she had ever seen were the badges her dad had thrown in an old box she found in the garage. So, why had her dad hidden this all from her? More importantly, why had her father hidden her from these people he wanted her to find?

When Charlie had the chance to chat with the woman named Daisy, she had mentioned that she had only briefly known Charlie's dad through Misty, who Charlie learned was Daisy's younger sister. All Daisy was really able to tell her about was the time that Misty and her dad had battled for the Cascade badge, explaining why her dad wanted her to get him a victory when Charlie battled Misty. Other than that, Daisy had told her, she would need to ask Misty about her dad. And as much as Charlie wanted to to do that, she didn't know when she would see Misty next. Her dad had mentioned that it would happen at a later date, but what that date was specifically, she didn't know. When she was done flipping through the sketchbooks and hearing the stories, Tracey helped her develop a battle strategy for her upcoming match against Lt. Surge.

OOOO

Later that night, as Charlie sat on her bed in the Pokemon center, she found herself staring at a sketch that Tracey had kindly given her. It was of her father posing with-what Tracey had told her-his signature victory poses, his Pikachu sitting on his shoulder, mimicking his stance. Like she remembered Brock telling her, her dad looked like a kid with his goofy victory pose. But that's how she'd always known her dad to be, so, for her, it felt just right. Maybe she would try it after she won her Thunder Badge tomorrow. But before she could do that, she had yet to read the letter to her that corresponded with the one she had given to Tracey.

_Charlie, _

_I hope you were able to find Tracey. I bet he was a little surprised to find out who you were. Since he's a watcher, he's always been good about picking up difference and similarities between people. So, I'm sure he was able to pick up on the fact that you and I share some similarities that are too alike to be a coincidence. Anyways, did you sketch me a Pikachu? I bet it's great. Probably better than anything I could have ever drawn. Did he tell you any cool stories? Maybe he told you about how your dad got him into trouble with Pokemon? Nevertheless, I hope you were able to learn a lot from him. _

_He's there to help you learn about Pokemon as much as you can, and, if you want, how to draw them as well. If you ever have any questions about a particular Pokemon or how yours might be doing, just give him a call and I'm sure he'd be happy to help you. He really helped me out a few times when it came to information about Pokemon and what to do when I got into some trouble with them. (Let me tell you, that happened a lot.) I only got to travel with him through the Orange Islands because when I returned to Kanto, he took a job as a research assistant. But, I learned a lot from him and I hope you do, too. Good luck on your battle with Lt. Surge. He might call you a baby, but just know that you're not one and you can beat him. After that, open the next clue and make your way to Celadon City. Good luck!  
><em>

_Love, _

_Your father _

_P.S. If there's a woman named Daisy with him, that's Misty's older sister. If you ever randomly want to start acting in plays or water ballets, talk to her and she might put you in a play of her's. I recommend the Magical Mermaid.  
><em>

OOOO_  
><em>

With a third badge secured with the help of her dad's friends and her Pokemon, Charlie made her way out of Vermilion City and headed toward Celadon City, the metropolis of the Kanto region. There, she would have to search for another person, but this time, it would be in a city much bigger than the ones she had been to. She hoped that, unlike the previous clue, her dad would give her a little bit more to go on. So, taking out the note card, she read the clue and crossed her fingers.

_4. Celadon City_

_Shop till you drop with the Princess of Hoenn. Lover of noodles, traveling, and anything cute, she's the daughter of a gym leader and a fierce opponent in contest battles. Like her, you may have to rely on a little luck to find this person-and maybe a red or green bandana. But, when you do, hand her the envelope labeled, The Princess of Hoenn and let her, "take the stage" as she helps you navigate your way as a trainer. _


	5. The Princess of Hoenn

_You Will Always Be My Hero_  
><em>Never Scared, and Braver Then Us All<em>  
><em>Guiding Light For Me To Follow<em>  
><em>Always Showing Me The Way<em>  
><em>Right Beside Me Every Day<em>

Celadon City was huge! There was no way Charlie was going to be able to find who she was supposed to be looking for. To add to the difficulty, the girl she was supposed to find was from Hoenn, so there was a good chance that the people around here wouldn't know anyone who was famous in Hoenn. At least, so far, all the other people her dad had wanted her to find had been natives of Kanto like her. In the clue, her dad had told her that she would need to possibly rely a little on luck to find the girl in question, but, as Charlie had learned rather quickly, she wasn't exactly very lucky.

She debated heading to the shopping center since it was implied that the Princess of Hoenn liked shopping, but Charlie quickly realized that the shopping mall was too big for her to try and find someone she barely knew. So, deciding it would be the most practical solution, she made her way to the Pokemon Center to do some researching and see if she could get some help. As she walked to the center, she became a bit worried that she would never find this girl. And if she didn't find her, did that mean she was supposed to open the next envelope and see who she was supposed to find next, or was she supposed to stay in Celadon until she did find the girl? Then again, though, he dad had never given her directions as to what to do if she never found someone, so they must be in a place that, if she thought hard, she would be able to find. Where that place was, she didn't know.

As she walked down the road, she took time to do some window-shopping and see all the cool things the stores were selling. As she scanned her way through the stores, she began to notice some signs that advertised sales and free food for girls and only girls. As she got closer to the center, she spotted a banner strung between two buildings that read, HAPPY PRINCESS DAY!

Princess Day? She hadn't celebrated that holiday since she was a kid. Or at least, she hadn't celebrated it the way she had with her dad since he passed away. She had loved Princess Day. It was day when her dad would always give her a new Poke Doll to add to the collection her mom had started when she was little and take her out to lunch at whatever restaurant she wanted. When they got home, her dad would let her stay up late to watch the televised Princess Festival that took place at the Indigo Plateau. While her dad had always enjoyed watching the Pokemon battles, her favorite part was the mini fashion show that always took place before the matches. At this time, she would always run to her room and put on her own kimono before rushing back to her dad's room to catch the fashion show.

"Who do you think will win this year, Charlie?" her dad would always ask her when the contestants first walked out. He always liked to ask her opinion on the different competitions.

"The Cewuleon Pwincess," she would always tell him, referring to the contestant that seemed to win every year. "She's the pwettiest and the best battler."

"I heard she's not very nice," he would always tease her. Despite what he said, for some unknown reason, her dad had always had a soft spot for the girl that represented Cerulean in the festival.

"Daddy!" she would wine. She had always hated when he would shoot down her favorite contestant. "You don't even know her."

He would just laugh as if he knew something that Charlie didn't. "Alright, Charlie. Whatever you say. Let's just watch the battle and see if you're right."

Charlie would just nod her head knowing that she was always right. And as she watched the Cerulean Princess use her Gyarados to take out her opponents Pokemon, she would always declare, "One day, I'll become the Viridian City Princess and beat her, Daddy!"

"You should go for Pallet," he would always advise her.

After a while she finally reached the center, which was packed with people all trying to get a room. Normally, the center probably wouldn't be too crowded, but the festival had brought in a lot of people. Plus, some of the past winners and other famous people were supposed to be making an appearance later tonight. Unfortunately, one of those people was the Celadon City gym leader, meaning that the gym was closed for the day. So, with a sudden chunk of free time, Charlie decided she would head over to the stores and check out some of the deals. (She would be dumb not to.) She could use a new outfit since her current attire was getting pretty ratty from traveling. Plus, it was almost spring, so her winter clothes wouldn't be of much help, and she actually enjoyed shopping.

As she should have expected, the stores were packed with people, many of using their Pokemon to help them carrying numerous shopping bags. So, when she saw a break in the crowd, she made her way into a store that looked promising. Heading over to a rack of clothes, she began to skim her way through them, trying to find something that would work. As much as she would like to have bought a dress, she had to be practical. A dress would not be a good choice for traveling. Picking up a red tank top, she flipped it around and matched it up with her body to see how it would look.

"Here," she heard a voice call out to her. When she turned around, a girl was trying to hand her a sea green top and khaki shorts. "This will look much better."

Charlie hesitantly took the clothes from the girl, a little flustered by the girl's kind offering. "Thank you…"

"May," the girl replied, sticking out a gloved hand. For a second, Charlie had a flashback as May's gloved hand was replaced with the hand of a person wearing a green, fingerless glove. She didn't know whom the hand belonged to, but the image made her feel a twinge of sadness for unexplained reasons. May, noticing the girl frown a bit when she offered her hand, slowly brought it back to her side before giving the girl a concerned look. "You okay?"

The girl's voice quickly brought her out of her tiny flashback and to reality where May was waiting for her to answer. "Huh?" Charlie felt herself say. "Oh. Yeah. I'm okay. Um, I'm Charlotte, but I go by Charlie."

"Okay." For a few more seconds, May continued to show Charlie some sympathy, unconvinced that there was nothing bothering her. Knowing Charlie wouldn't say anything she quickly put back on a smile. "Well, what are you waiting for? Go try it on!"

While Charlie headed to the dressing room to try on the clothes, May followed close behind, making sure she would be there to offer her fashion advice whether Charlie wanted it or not. Sitting down on a bench in front of Charlie's dressing room, May tried to come up with ways to get Charlie to confide in her what was bothering her. Now May knew that it was wrong to meddle in people's personal problems, but that's who she was. She was the girl who always had to help people when they were down even if it involved meddling. Plus, it would give her something to do until Brock finally arrived.

"So, how's it look," May heard Charlie ask her.

"Wow!" May awed as she took in Charlie's appearance. "You look great."

Not sure if she believed May, Charlie took a second to look at herself in the near by mirror. As she twisted and turned a bit, she couldn't help but think that it actually looked really good on her. But, she still had to ask. "Really?"

"Really! It looks great. I promise," May assured her, making sure to throw in a big smile for reinforcement. "I think I did a pretty good job if I do say so myself."

"Thanks for your help," Charlie said. Although May had just invited herself into Charlie's little shopping trip, it had actually turned out better than she had hoped.

"No problem," May replied, her voice bouncy and full of energy. "You want to grab some lunch at the food court? I'm starving."

Lunch? Charlie barely knew May and here she was inviting her to eat lunch with her. There was no doubt in Charlie's mind that she could trust the girl, but it still seemed kind of strange grabbing a bite to eat with someone she barely knew. But at the same time, this was her journey. It was a time for her to have a fresh start and try new things. May seemed like somebody Charlie would get along with.

"Sure. Just let me pay for this and I'll meet you outside the store," Charlie quickly agreed before she changed her mind. She knew this was going to be a good thing for her, so there was no point in her backing out now. So, with that, she returned to the dressing room while May scurried out of the store.

OOOO

"So, what's up? I've noticed something's been bugging you." May stated as she set down her tray at the table her and Charlie had picked out. All Charlie could do was stare at the four bowl of food sitting on May's tray. She hadn't seen anyone eat that much since her dad. It was even more surprising to see someone of May's size eating that much. When Charlie didn't answer, May finally took notice of her staring at her tray. "I love food?"

"Uh, yeah. I see that," Charlie laughed. "And I'm okay."

"You sure? It always helps me if I talk about it," May offered. "Are you homesick?"

Homesick? No. Dadsick? (Was that even a word or a feeling?) Yes. Despite the happy festivities that always occurred on this day, today more than any other day, was when she felt herself really missing her dad and wishing he were here. While all the other days and holidays she spent with her dad were great, Princess Day had always been her favorite. She didn't know exactly why; it just was. And it was because of the things her dad and her would do on this day that always made her feel lonely. She would still watch the competition on T.V and dress in her kimono, but it was never the same without her dad there to ask her who she thought would win. She knew the person she lived with always tried to make her feel better, but it never worked. They weren't her dad. Plus, the year her dad died, the girl from Cerulean did not enter the competition, nor did Charlie ever see her in any competitions after that. When all she needed to know was that something in her life hadn't changed, her favorite princess had failed her. But how could she tell this all to the girl who was sitting across from her without revealing the whole story she always tried to avoid telling?

"Charlie?"

Charlie didn't hear May, though. She was too focused on the man who had just walked by with his daughter sitting on his shoulders, the little girl wearing a pink kimono and holding a Pichu doll in her hands. As she shifted her gaze, her eyes found their way to a man sitting on a bench smiling as his two daughters and wife walked up to him. That man and woman should have been her mother and father. Her mother and father should have been together, and one of those happy little girls should have been her.

As May looked at Charlie with intense worry, she felt herself following Charlie's line of eyesight to a father and his daughter walking by, all smiles and giggles. As she flicked her gaze back to Charlie, though, she saw a sadness and pain reflecting off the girl's face that May had once seen in herself years ago. And as small tears started to gather around Charlie's eyes, May had a feeling she knew what was bothering the girl.

Knowing it was in Charlie's best interest to get out of there, May led her away from the table. "Come on, Charlie. Let's get you out of here."

Too weak to put up a fight, Charlie let May pull her through the mall and to a bench by a giant fountain. She knew that May would want some answers and that, as she had proven earlier, she wasn't one who would give up without a fight. But as Charlie sat on the bench crying, May just sat next to her rubbing her back to comfort her the way she remembered her dad always doing it. As her crying died down and May continued to comfort her, she couldn't help but wonder if her dad had sent May to help her. And it was that little comforting thought that gave her confidence she needed to tell May what had happened.

Charlie glanced at May for a second, her blue eye's staring back at Charlie to see if she was okay. Breaking away, she turned her head, suddenly finding her shoes much more interesting. Taking a deep breath, she indulged herself in the comfort of talking about what was bothering her that May had promised would be there.

"My dad…He died when I was little. I don't know why, but today has always been one of those days where I just really miss him."

"I'm so sorry," May frowned. Although she didn't know what it was like to lose a parent, May could still relate to Charlie's feelings of losing someone close. "Losing someone close to you is a rough thing to go through."

Charlie gave a weak nod. She knew May was trying to help, but she had heard the I'm sorry phrase so many times she almost didn't believe people when they said it. People didn't know how to react, so they just went with the most commonly used phrase in that situation.

"One of my best friends passed away a few years ago." Maybe, Charlie had been wrong. Maybe May knew what she was going through but on a different level. "He was like an older brother to me. I met him when I first started my journey and I traveled with him for a long time. Thanks to him, my first journey was actually exciting and full of adventure like I had hoped. I was at home when my friend called me and told me the news. I didn't believe it at first. How could a guy who still had things he wanted to do and dreams he had yet to achieve die at such a young age? Sometimes I would sit by myself and wonder why it had to be him of all people. Why not someone else?"

While an uneasy silence fell between the two of them, May unzipped her pouch that hung by her waist and pulled out what looked like half of a ribbon. May observed the ribbon and held it in her hands with great care as if it could rip or tear any second.

"He might not be here in person, but I'll always remember everything I learned from him and all the adventures we shared together. I keep this half of a ribbon from a contest we tied in to remind me of him. Whenever I look at it, I remind myself that no matter how low I may feel, I can't give up because Ash would never give up."

_Ash?_ Now Charlie knew that this was not a very common name, nor were there probably many people of that name that had died and traveled the world on a journey. Could this be the girl she had been looking for? Could luck have finally been on her side and led her to what she needed? There was only way to find out. "Are you the Princess of Hoenn?"

"Huh?" May snapped out of her trance, looking up from the ribbon. "Oh. Yeah. That's me," she replied rather unenthusiastically, slipping the ribbon half back into her pouch.

Charlie couldn't believe it. The girl she had been looking for all day had been the girl that had been with her the entire time. She had told her everything about her dad when May already knew what happened because her dad had been a friend of May's. Maybe, things were staring to look up. Opening her bag, Charlie pulled out the envelope addressed to May.

"This is for you," Charlie told her.

"Who's it from?" May asked as she took the letter from Charlie's hands. She flipped it over a few times, trying to see if she could find anything that would indicate who the sender was.

"You have to open it up and see," Charlie told her, remembering to follow the rule her dad had made. She wasn't allowed to tell the people who had sent the letter no matter how many times they asked. She could only encourage them to open it up and read it.

"Oh. Okay. Do you mind if I open it now?" Before Charlie could answer, though, May had already opened the flap and was pulling out the letter.

_May, _

_ Are you enjoying Celadon? I sure hope so. I sent you here because I knew how much you loved shopping and Celadon is the shopping center of Kanto. I'm sorry that I'm not there to be a part of May's Expeditions, but I assure you that I will be tuning in to see the episode where May meets Charlie Ketchum. And let me tell you; you're in luck. She happens to be a girly girl and she enjoys shopping and cute Pokemon just like somebody else I know. The only thing she's lacking are some stable females in her life that she can go to if she has girl problems or just wants to do girl stuff. Growing up with mainly her dad has kind of put a damper on stuff like that for her, and I don't think she's kept many of the friends she had when she was younger. The way I see it, Misty will teach her how to beat up the boys, while you'll teach her how to talk to them. I wouldn't worry, though. I'm confident that you two will get along. _

_As you may know, since I've always been an only child, the people I traveled with always become sort of like the siblings I never had. I'll always remember you as the little sister with an appetite that was equal-maybe even greater- than mine and the girl who never thought twice about helping people, even if she was meddling. And as your big brother, I have some things I'd like to share with you. For starters, don't let a chance go by because you're too afraid, because before you know it, it'll be too late and you'll be kicking yourself for not risking it. I know that you really like him, May-Drew that is. And he likes you. Even I know that those roses aren't for your Pokemon. So, as a word of advice, I'm asking you to tell Drew how you feel before it's too late. _

_Secondly, don't give up on your dream. As cliché as it may seem, keep going. I've always been proud of you for what you've accomplished-win or lose- and I know that you can do it. You've come a long way from the ten-year old I remember who hated Pokemon and only wanted to go on a journey to travel the world. Last I checked, she's a top coordinator now who's raised some tough Pokemon and taken out her rivals quite a few times. No matter what happens, you're a great coordinator and I assure you that you'll go far. Lastly, do you still have the half of the ribbon from that contest? Inside this envelope I put the half I had for you to keep. This way, you'll know that we'll always be friends and that, in spirit, I'll always be there for you. _

_Next, I'm sending her to Lavender Town to meet your brother, but don't worry, you'll see her again Take good care of Charlie and good luck in your contests. I'll be cheering you on.  
><em>

_Love, Ash_

_Something tells me Brock was never coming…_So much for him forcing her to come all the way from Hoenn to Kanto, claiming it was an emergency and that he would meet her there. Nonetheless, though, this was better than she could have hoped for in Brock coming to see her. He had a daughter! Granted she had never heard about Charlie before this, but she wasn't complaining. And while his kind words and advice had touched her heart, she would be lying if she said she didn't find the news about Charlie more exciting than getting the other half of the ribbon. He'd understand.

"I can't believe they had a kid!" May squealed in delight, hugging Charlie to the point where she couldn't breathe. "And you're her! I always knew they were going to get together. This is so great!"

"Huh?" Who was May talking about? Had she known her parents when they were younger? Never before had she ever heard someone say that they always knew her parents would end up together. In fact, nobody ever really commented on her parent's relationship, especially after her mom left.

"Misty!" May replied with the same amount of enthusiasm as her previous statement. "Ash and Misty! I always knew they would end up together. I just never thought they would have a kid. But still, this is great!"

Misty? Was May talking about the same gym leader that she had met in Cerulean? That couldn't be possible, though. Her dad had never mentioned anything in the letter about her being Charlie's mother, nor had Misty said anything to her when she first met her. If she were in fact Misty's daughter, then wouldn't Misty have known who she was right away?

"Uh…Misty's not my mom," Charlie corrected May. The smile and energy instantly vanished, leaving May looking confused and embarrassed. "At least, I'm pretty sure she's not."

"Oh. Whoops. My mistake," May laughed, trying to make up for her mistake. May didn't understand, though. Ash had always liked Misty and he had given her advice about Drew as if he knew what it was like to have taken that risk. Had she misinterpreted it? Had he not taken the risk and was instead warning her of what he missed out on? If Charlie wasn't Misty and Ash's daughter, than who was her mom? More importantly to May, however, being a romantic at heart, she wondered how Misty had taken the news. "It's just…I…Never mind."

"Okay." Although Charlie didn't truly believe May and knew she was hiding something, she decided not to push it. Regardless, she was left wondering why everyone seemed to know something about her dad's relationship with Misty that she didn't. Maybe she'd give Brock a call and finally take her dad's suggestion of finding out the story behind her mom.

"Well, you want to head back to the center?" May suggested. She figured it would be best to move on to something else before she opened her big mouth again. "I've got to go pick up my Pokemon. After that we can head downtown for the festivities."

Without a response, Charlie stood up and followed May through the city and back to the center. And as May led the way, she couldn't believe that the girl behind her was Ash's daughter. His death had been rough on her-it had on everyone-but Charlie's arrival brought hope. May could relive the adventures with Ash through his daughter and become the teacher Ash had been to her.

OOOO

After going to the center, Charlie spent the rest of the day walking around town with May, who, much to Charlie's amusement, let her Beautifly sit on her head the entire time. According to May, she had started using this as an appeal for contests, but after a while, her Beautifly had grown to enjoy it. They had spent the day riding the Ferris Wheel, eating tasty treats, and shopping at the little souvenir shops. They had chatted about Charlie's journey and who she had met, while May shared a few stories about Charlie's dad that she remembered from the adventures. Charlie had learned that her dad had participated in something called the Battle Frontier, and that he had ended up getting all the symbols and becoming, yet again, a champion. He wasn't the smartest cookie out there, she had said. But he cared about others like her, sacrificing days of his journey so she could compete in a contest or for the time she helped the injured Swablu. May even shared with her the times Ash he had risked his life to save Pokemon such as Lucario and Jirachi.

"That dense idiot," she had laughed to herself. "He'd die trying to save a Pokemon if it survived in the end."

And when May told her about the time he had, once again, risked his life to save her when they were trying to protect a legendary Pokemon named Manaphy, Charlie could sworn she saw small tears on May's face. He had forced her, Pikachu and Manaphy into a pod, slammed the door shut despite their protests and ran off.

"I was so scared that he didn't make it," she had told Charlie. "I thought it was the end. Little did I know the end would come soon after."

After that and throughout the night, the stories started to turn more into lists of why May had always looked up to Ash, all the things he had taught her, and how he had always been there to cheer her up and help her get back on her feet when she lost a contest. To sum it up, May had concluded, Ash was one of her heroes. At the end of the night, they gathered in May's room to watch the Princess Competition, but it seemed to Charlie like she was doing more of watching May's Skitty chase it's tail around the room. Favoring the princess from Lilycove, May rooted for her, while Charlie picked the princess from her home town of Viridian since, once again, the Cerulean princess was a no show. And while this year's Princess Festival had been much better than in past years thanks to May, Charlie still couldn't help but wish her dad were here to spend it with her. But before Charlie could fall asleep, she still had yet to read her dad's letter to her.

_Charlie, _

_I hope you are doing well and you're getting through your journey without too many obstacles. If you are, well, then you're taking after your father. I also hope that you were able to find May in the big city of Celadon. I tried to make the clue as descriptive as I could, but you never know. Then again, if you're reading this than you've obviously found her, or you've resorted to finding out her name and going from there. Anyways, May was the first person I met when I started out in Hoenn, and Pikachu may or may have not fried her bike. Unlike some people, though, she didn't follow me until I paid her back. FYI: I never did. Just like you, she was just starting her journey, but she wasn't too found of Pokemon. In fact, she barely knew anything about battling or training them._

_Since she's a bit younger than me, she's always been like a little sister to me and we've shared lots of fun-and dangerous-adventures together. I'm sure that you two will be able to get along great and I'm sure you'll find her to be a good source to talk to-whether you want to or not. She likes to try and help-if you're ever having any troubles. She's full of energy, loves food, a bit of a drama queen, but a great friend. If you're ever in Hoenn or have an interest in participating in contest, just give her a call and I know she'll be glad to happy to help you. Also, if you ever get a chance to watch her in a contest, I strongly recommend you do._

_Love, _

_Your Father _

_P.S. I forgot to tell you this, but when you go to the Celadon Gym, if the people there ask you if you like perfume, just say yes. _

OOOO

The next day just like she promised, May accompanied Charlie to her gym battle and sat on the sidelines cheering her on as she took out Erika's grass Pokemon with her Charmander and her-well, her dad's-Bayleef. Thankfully, the people working at the gym had never asked her if she liked perfume, leaving her a bit confused as to why her dad had thrown in that bit of advice. Knowing him, though, there was some story behind it that she would have to uncover later. For now, she had to discover where she was headed next on this scavenger hunt of her dad's life.

_5. Lavender Town_

_Boo! You're headed to the ghost town of Kanto. A smaller town than Celadon, the person you are seeking is connected to The Princess of Hoenn. They're always eager to learn and experience Pokemon, even to the point where they get excited when attacked by a Pokemon's special attack. They'll be your encyclopedia of Pokemon stats and prove useful in the rest of your journey. When you find them, give them the envelope labeled, The Braniac and give them the battle I promised them years ago. _

Slipping the clue back into the envelope, Charlie headed out of Celadon and onto the road that would take her to the next person.

"Charlie! Wait!" May yelled. Stopping, Charlie turned around to see May running toward her. When she caught up to her, she stopped to catch her breath before standing back up. "I forgot to give you something. Here."

Walking behind Charlie, May placed a green bandana on her head, fixing it so it looked more like a headband. Tying it tight so it wouldn't fall off, she finished off with a tug before walking back around to examine her work.

"I'll miss you, Charlie," she said, giving Charlie a friendly smile. "You're a great person, and if you're anything like your dad, you'll go far. If you need anything call, okay?"

Thanking May, Charlie bid farewell with a promise from May to come watch her when she participated in the Indigo League. As May stood there and waved, she watched Charlie walk away until she disappeared over the hill. Before she turned to head back to the center to pack up her own things, she looked up to the sky and really smiled for the first time in a while.

"Thank you, Ash."

And as May walked away, she made plans to call a certain green-haired coordinator.


	6. The Braniac

_Those thoughts I can't deny _  
><em> These sleeping thoughts won't lie<em>  
><em> And all I've tried to hide<em>  
><em> It's eating me apart<em>  
><em> Trace this life back<em>

Just like her dad had said in the clue, Lavender Town was a small, quiet little town that had a spooky atmosphere about it. To her surprise, there weren't that many people around, the only ones being either the people who lived there or those that were passing by like her. What threw Charlie off, however, was that many of the people she had passed looked sad and depressed, many of them carrying flowers. One woman Charlie had seen had been wiping away what she could have sworn to be tears, as she walked out of a building. Although with less people, even the people in the center had held the same kind of depressing state that the town had seemed to have.

"Name please," Nurse Joy kindly asked, her peppy and happy voice seeming completely out of place.

"Charlotte Ketchum," Charlie replied.

"Oh! I have a package here for you." Before Charlie could say anything, Nurse Joy turned around and headed into the back room to retrieve the package for Charlie. As Charlie waited, she wondered what it was someone had sent her. Before her thoughts could develop into anything more, Nurse Joy returned with the package in one hand and a Pokeball in the other. "Here you go, Charlotte. I've got you all checked in for Rm. 12. Enjoy your stay."

"Thank you," Charlie replied as she grabbed the items off the counter.

Turning around, she headed toward her room to open the package and see what she had been sent. As she headed down the hallway, she inspected the Pokeball, trying to guess what she had been given. As she looked at it closer, though, she noticed that, unlike Pokeballs she had seen before, this one had a lightening bolt on it's front.

When she reached her room, she set it and the package on her bed before heading to the bathroom to wash up from her travels early that day.

Meanwhile, the Pokeball on Charlie's bed started shaking violently on her bed, whatever was inside it desperately trying to get out. Soon enough, with a flash of light, the Pokeball popped open on its own, a white light appearing on her bed.

"Pikachupi? A Pikachu cried, flicking its head around frantically as if it was looking for someone.

When it realized it wasn't in a place it was familiar with, and that it's Pikachupi was nowhere to be found, it only started to panic more. As it looked to it's left, it saw a backpack sitting on the end of the bed, unfamiliar to Pikachu. Running over, he stuck his nose in the air in order to get a good whiff of the smell coming off the backpack. As Pikachu took in the smell, however, its ears instantly perked up, the smells coming from the backpack very familiar to him. Using its tiny paws, Pikachu opened the backpack and dove inside to search for what he had determined to be the scent of its previous trainer. As he did this, though, the backpack teetered on the edge of the bed before falling onto the floor just as he grabbed a hat, scattering its contents on the floor. Unfortunately for poor Pikachu, the backpack had fallen on him, trapping him inside.

As Charlie came out of the bathroom, she took note of the state of her backpack. _What in the world? _she wondered, as she walked over to go clean everything up. Picking up her backpack, she flipped it back over so she could put everything back in it.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu cried, popping its head out of the backpack when Charlie went to put her belongings in it.

"AH!" Charlie screamed, dropping the backpack in her state of terror. Quickly regaining her composure, she stared at the Pikachu that was now trying to shake off the fall it had just experienced. "What are you doing in my backpack?

"Pika Pika!" it yelled at her before snatching the hat between its teeth.

"Hey! That's mine!" Charlie countered, going after Pikachu. Just as she was about to catch it, though, Pikachu jumped on the bed and out of the way. Picking herself back up off the floor, she turned toward the Pikachu and glared at it. "Give that back."

Pikachu just ignored her, instead climbing to the top of the bunk bed. As Charlie went to grab the Pokeball she had been given to battle the Pikachu, it was then that she noticed it was open. And as she slowly put the pieces together, it was then she realized what Pikachu was sitting on her bed taunting her.

"You're the Pikachu from Misty's gym, aren't you?" she asked the Pokemon. At the sound of Misty's name, it flicked up an ear in interest. As Charlie thought about it a bit more, she remembered that at one point, this had been her dad's beloved Pikachu. That it was the same one she had grown up with. "You were my dad's Pikachu."

"Pikapi?"

"I'm sorry, I don't understand." Charlie knew that Pikachu was trying to convey some message to her, but no matter how hard she tried, there was no way she was going to be able to understand him. Although she had grown up with the Pokemon, it had been five years since she saw him, causing her to forget everything she might have known. "I'm Charlie, though. Do you remember me?"

Once again, Pikachu stuck his nose in the air to get a good whiff of Charlie, trying to determine if she would be trustworthy. And as Charlie's scent made it's way to the little Pokemon's nose, Pikachu felt himself remembering something from years ago.

"_You see her, Pikachu? Her name's Charlotte and she's my daughter," Ash told the Pokemon that was sitting on his shoulder, looking into the crib below. _

"_Pi pi pi?" it asked its trainer, not quite understanding. _

_Upon hearing Pikachu's response, Ash let out a small chuckle. "Yep. She's a baby just like Togepi. But she's a human baby and she's mine." _

_As Pikachu gazed into that crib, examining the sleeping baby with great curiosity, he wasn't so sure if he liked the idea of his Pikapi having a Pi pi pi of his own. _

"Pi pi pi!" Pikachu cried, its eyes lighting up as it leaped off the bed and toward Charlie. It had found her at last; it had found it's Pikapi's Pi pi pi.

Pikachu landed in Charlie's open arms, where she scratched him between his ears affectionately before setting him on the bottom bunk. Sitting next to him on the bed, she picked up the letter and the package she had yet to open. Opening the letter, she absent-mindedly patted Pikachu on the head while she read it.

_ Soon after you left, I realized that Pikachu would be much happier with you. He hates being in Pokeballs, so release him immediately, and tell him I'm sorry. In the package is something of his. I thought it might keep you warm._

_Misty_

Charlie was slightly thrown off by the lack of words Misty had put. In addition, instead of putting Ash, or, "Your Dad", she had put, "His." _Did Misty have trouble talking about Ash?_ Charlie wondered. Setting aside the letter, she picked up the package and pried it open. Inside the package was a royal blue hoodie with black sleeves, a white hood, and gold trimming on the bottom.

When she pulled it over her head and slipped it on, it became very clear that it was at least two sizes too big. If her dad had worn this, then he must have worn it when he was much older, and compared to when he had worn this, Charlie was much more tinier and shorter. Despite what people had told her, she had yet to inherit her dad's height genes-if she ever did. Regardless, there was something about it that felt just right. But until she grew in to it, or it magically shrank, she'd have to find a different way to use it.

Climbing over to her, Pikachu placed the hat it had found in Charlie's lap. As Pikachu nudged the hat closer to Charlie, she quickly got the message.

"It's not for me," she told Pikachu. "It's for somebody else, but I don't know who yet."

Pikachu tilted its head to the side, trying to understand what Charlie was telling him. Again, Pikachu nudged the hat, trying to get Charlie to wear it. Ash had always worn a hat, never taking it off unless he had to. If Charlie had a hat, why wasn't she wearing it like Ash had? Hats were meant to be worn, right? Or, at least, that's what Pikachu had thought.

Sighing, Charlie gave Pikachu a small smile. "I've got an idea," she told him, finally picking up the hat. When she did, she placed the hat backwards onto Pikachu's head, adjusting it so the Pokemon could still see. "There. Now we both have something of his."

OOOO

Later that evening, Charlie found herself enjoying a nice meal at the center with Pikachu atop her shoulder, the hat on his head. While she wondered how she might meet the next person, she considered describing them to Pikachu to see if he would be able to help her out. The problem, however, is that she wasn't sure if he would understand her, and she knew that she would have no way of understanding him. So, like last time, she would just have to rely on luck.

Meanwhile, walking into the cafeteria was a young man in his early twenties. His friend had called him and told him that he needed to be in Lavender Town, and that he would meet the man there. The boy's friend had also told him that he would be there waiting for the boy, but so far, the boy had no luck. He was starting to wonder if his friend was even going to show up.

"Pika!" he heard a Pikachu's voice nearby.

"Pikachu, wait!" a voice followed. When he looked up, he noticed Pikachu running toward him, a girl on his heels. When Pikachu reached the boy, he stopped in front of him and looked up at him with a big smile on his face. "I'm really sorry about that. I guess he must really like you."

The boy took a second to examine the Pikachu in front of him, noticing the familiar hat atop its head. It was a more than a coincidence that this Pikachu had the same hat as a boy he had known with a Pikachu himself. There was no doubt in his mind that this was that boy's Pikachu, but what was this girl doing with his friend's Pikachu?

"It's because he knows me," the boy explained, kneeling down to pet Pikachu. Almost in a know-it-all fashion, he pushed his glasses up over his nose."Pikachu and I used to travel together. Well, technically, I traveled with his trainer so therefore I traveled with Pikachu, too. But why do you have this Pikachu?"

"Misty, the Cerulean City gym leader, gave him to me."

"Oh I see. " The boy stopped petting Pikachu and looked up to stare at the girl. "How do you know Misty? You must have been pretty special to get this Pikachu from her of all people."

"She's a friend of my dad's," Charlie informed him. "This was his Pikachu, but when he died, he gave Pikachu to Misty."

"Got it." For a second he stood there, thinking of what to say next. It was then, though, that what Charlie had said suddenly hit him. "Wait! What? YOU'RE Ash's daughter?"

Charlie nodded, a little amused by his reaction. If he was The Braniac, shouldn't he have been able to figure out the connection between what she had said and Ash? Maybe he wasn't so great with people smarts. "Ha ha. Yep! I'm Charlie Ketchum."

"But you're a girl…" he stated, trying not to sound too rude. "Shouldn't you, you know, have a more girly name?"

"My dad gave me this name," she explained, annoyance evident in her voice. Putting her hands on her hips, she glared at Max. "Why? Do you have a problem with it?"

"Oh, no not at all. It's a lovely name. It means free man. Did you know that? Suits you well considering who your dad is." The boy may have not been the smartest around people, but he knew when to back off. He had May as a sister and had traveled with girls before so, he had learned a few things about how they could get mad if they felt insulted. "I've just never heard it used for a girl. That's all."

"I'm kidding," she laughed. "My real name's Charlotte. Charlie is just a nickname my dad gave me. My friend Grayson always used to call me that, and my dad thought it was funny, so he started calling me that, too. I would go by Charlotte, but it feels too weird. Plus, I guess it's kind of a way for me to feel connected to my dad."

"Oh, okay. I'm Max by the way."

"Nice to meet you. So since you knew my dad and you traveled with him, that must mean you're The Braniac. You know a ton about Pokemon, right? My dad said you're like a Pokemon Encyclopedia."

"And here I was thinking Ash always thought I was an annoying know it all," Max laughed.

"That's funny because people have always told me that my dad could be really annoying. I guess he could be a bit stubborn at times, too."

Max couldn't help but snicker at Charlie's statement, knowing all too well what she meant. He had spent two and half years traveling with Ash and at times, he could be very frustrating to work with. But most of the time, Max could usually outsmart Ash into doing what he wanted.

"He wasn't the brightest one out there, either," Max added.

"That's what May said," Charlie chuckled, recalling May's comment about how Ash wasn't the brightest cookie out there.

"May?" Max asked. "She's my sister. Where'd you meet her?"

"Celadon City. She was the person I was supposed to find there. I got pretty lucky finding her as quickly as I did considering how big and crowded Celadon was."

"You were supposed to find her?"

"Yeah. My dad is having me find a person in each town…I don't know exactly _why_, though. So far I've met, Misty, Brock, Tracey, Daisy and May. You, apparently, are the next person I'm supposed to meet." With that, Charlie pulled another envelope out of her backpack and handed it to Max. "And since you are, I'm supposed to give you this so you can open it."

Taking the letter from Charlie, Max invited her to join him for dinner while he read the letter. Since Charlie had already eaten most of her meal, she told him she would just wait with him while he read the letter. Knowing this, while he read the letter, Max handed Charlie a stack of pictures Brock had asked him to bring.

_Max, _

_ How's your training going? I have a feeling that you're doing much better than I did, having known much more than I could ever remember. It always amazed me how you could memorize all the information about Pokemon such as, attacks, what level they learn them, and what level Pokemon evolve. I honestly tried, but I could never do it; there were just too many. I would be curious to see if you became a researcher or a gym leader like your dad. No matter which one you chose, though, I'm sure you will do a great job and make everyone proud. _

_ The girl you met is my daughter Charlie. And before you start wondering, nobody else knew and they are all finding out about her as she comes across them. I wanted her to meet you because I am confident that you will be able to advise her in training and any information she might need to know about the Pokemon she has. Plus, I'm sure you could give her some advice about traveling from your own experiences. She loves stories, so I know you'll be able to share some good ones with her about her dad and the experience you had traveling with me. In addition to that, could you show her the videotapes of the Silver Conference (I made it to the 2__nd__ round of the VICTORY tournoment!) Brock asked you to bring? When she was little, I never really battled much, nor did I talk about my own experiences in leagues. So, this would be a great way for her to get to see her dad in action. _

_ May used to tell me how you used to look up to me as a trainer and kind of like and older brother. Regardless of if this was true or not, I have to say that's a pretty cool feeling, and despite what you may think, you were a great addition to our traveling group. Although you may have gotten me into trouble a few times by pulling me into your little schemes or sibling rivalry with May, it was fun getting to know you. I mean without you, we'd probably get lost all the time. I know for a fact that you're going to be a great trainer and no matter what you become, you'll be well known. I'm sorry I couldn't ever give you that battle I promised you when we parted ways, but I told Charlie to battle you for me. Good luck and try not to get Charlie into too much trouble. _

_ Your friend, _

_Alf :) _

_P.S. Just so you always remember, "Sometimes friends have to go away, but a part of them stays behind with you. You'll remember them forever, and they're going to always be in your heart." _

Max felt himself smile, remembering the words Ash had spoken to him those many years ago. He had been seven at the time, and he had been dreading the departure of Jirachi. When May had failed to say what he needed, Ash had somehow said just what he had needed to hear.

Folding up the letter and setting it next to him, Max took a few seconds to observe Charlie as she viewed the pictures. Some of them caused her to smile or laugh, while others she looked at with great interest, as if she had a question about it she wanted to ask. The more he thought about it, the more Max thought she looked like Ash. She had similar facial expressions to him, and the way she narrowed her eyes in deep thought was similar to him.

"When you're finished, I have some cool videos to show you."

"Really?" Charlie asked, her interest growing. "What about?"

"You have to see."

OOOO

Charlie sat on her bed, dangling her feet over the end while she waited for Max to set up the videos. Sitting in her lap, still wearing the hat, was Pikachu, eagerly anticipating what was to come next. Max had yet to tell them what it was they were watching, but that didn't stop her from being excited.

"So, I have to ask," Max started to say as he fiddled with the T.V., "who's your mom? Does she know about this whole scavenger hunt your dad has sent you on?"

"I don't know who my mom is. All I know is that her and my dad used to be friends," Charlie told him. "As long as I remember, it's always been my dad and I."

"Oh." Max thought about what she said for a bit before he asked another question. "Then where have you been for five years? I doubt you've been on your own…"

"Oh, no," Charlie laughed. "I've been living with friends of his."

"Really? Who?"

"I can't tell you," she frowned. "But I can tell you that you'll meet them eventually."

"Oh…okay."

Finally, Max pushed play and stepped back so that Charlie could see. The T.V. flickered to life to show an empty battlefield. After a few seconds, the screen panned over to a young man with raven-black hair.

"Is that my dad?" Charlie asked.

"Yeah," Max chuckled. "This is one of his battles from when he participated in the Johto League. I always liked to record leagues when I was kid so I could re-watch them and study them. This was about seventeen years ago."

"Wow. He never told me he participated in this league, too," Charlie muttered under her breath.

Charlie stared, mesmerized by her dad on the T.V. She had seen him battle a few times at the training academy with certain trainers, but she had never seen him battle when it really counted. And as she watched the battle with great interest, she noticed her dad had approached these league battles a lot differently than the ones she watched. In the leagues, he battled to win, while in the training school, he was trying to help the other person improve. At the same time, though, her dad looked so young to her. He actually looked like a kid just like her in his hat, blue jacket and green, fingerless gloves.

_The gloves!_ Her mind raced back to the flashback she had experienced when May had introduced herself. When she had saw them, she had felt sad, but didn't know why or even where she had seen the gloves. Now, though, as she watched her dad release a Pokemon, she finally understood. They had been his, and they reminded her of how much she missed him.

As the battle continued on, Charlie watched, while listening to Max give his commentary about how if her dad had chosen this pokemon, or told his pokemon to use this attack, he could have won. She had always known that her dad wasn't the best out there, and she had never really cared. To her, he was, and always would be, a really good trainer. In one of the battles, her dad was battling and old rival of his named Gary Oak, a name Charlie was all too familiar with. He had been at the lab in Pallet when she had received her first Pokemon. He had never mentioned anything about knowing Charlie's father, but the way he looked at her had taken a great interest in her when he found out whom she was, made her a bit skeptical. But as Charlie watched the match, it all started to make sense as to why Gary was so shocked to find out who she was. According to the announcer, her dad and Gary had been rivals, both coming from the town of Pallet. _Maybe_, she wondered,_ they had even been friends._

"Why did my dad want to be a trainer?" Charlie asked. Her dad had won his first two matches, defeating his long time rival, and they were now watching his third.

To this day, though, she couldn't understand why he had hid all his badges in the basement, never mentioning anything about participating in leagues to her. He wanted her to travel around Kanto and collect badges to participate in the league, but he refused to tell her about his own experience. And when she would ask him why he wanted to become a trainer, he would just tell her that it was just something everyone was expected to do. Despite what he had said, she couldn't help think that if he was just doing this because it's what everyone expected, he wouldn't have as many badges as she had found in the basement. There were 40 of them in total, not counting the four seashell shaped badges and the seven gold badges she didn't recognize. She didn't know for a fact, but Charlie was pretty sure you didn't collect that many badges _just_ to because you were expected to try training. But, just like her mother, the topic of her dad's past travels as a trainer was off limits for discussion.

"He wanted to be the World's Greatest Pokemon Master," Max answered. He smiled for a second before turning away from Charlie. "Obviously, though, he didn't make it…"

"Yeah," she replied rather meekly. "Did he ever come close?"

Pressing pause on the T.V., Max turned back to Charlie. "Well, he participated in something called the Battle Frontier when I traveled with him. He defeated all the Frontier Brains, and then was offered the position to be a Frontier Brain himself. He turned it down, though to continuing traveling. Then, when he was eighteen, he won a league, which catapulted him much further than he had ever been before. He stopped traveling and started competing in more tournaments, and ended up winning the majority of them. Without warning, he just randomly disappeared, and Brock called my sister and I to see if Ash had come to our house. Apparently, he had been with Brock and Misty, but after he got a phone call, he just left them in the middle of the night without any explanation."

"What?" Charlie gawked. _That's not what he told me…_

"He was gone for four years and nobody heard from him. We didn't know where he was until we found out he had died," Max continued on. "Your letters from him are the only contact we've had with him since then."

"That means…" Charlie said more to herself than to Max. _Four years before he died…_ Placing Pikachu on the bed, Charlie stood up, alarming both Max and Pikachu. "I need some air. I'll… I'll be back."

Without a word, she grabbed her bag and walked out of the room and through the doors of the Pokemon Center. Once she was outside, she made her way to the forest near the edge of the city. A little ways into the forest, she found a small creek, where she sat down and kicked her shoes off before putting her feet into the water. It was much colder than the temperature outside as it rushed between her toes. Picking up a rock, she threw it into the creek, creating a pool of ripples.

"You lied," she told the water. Her eyes narrowed, she started at ripple in the creek. The creek remained, the rushing sound of the water being the only sound it gave off. "You left because of me, and then you hid everything from me and me from your friends. You told me I was the best thing that happened to you, but I guess I ruined your dreams for you."

For the first time in a while, she felt herself wanting her mom. If only to assure her that both of her parents loved her and that her dad had meant everything he said about her. The woman who had raised her for a year on her own and two with her dad, had been a mystery to her most of her life, though. A touchy subject in her house for unknown reasons, she never dared to find out more about the woman that abandoned them, or why she had left in the first place. And with the recent news about her dad, her thoughts started to linger toward wandering if either of her parents wanted her in the first place. While one had fled, the other had lied to her for reasons she didn't know.

She couldn't think about this now, though. So, for a distraction from the past, she pulled out the letter her dad had written her for Max.

_Charlie, _

_I would first like to start by saying, Congratulations! You're halfway there; only four more badges left. Did Max show you the videos yet? They're of my battles in the Silver Conference, a Pokemon League in Johto. I competed in it after traveling around the region and collecting eight badges. Pretty cool, huh? Anyways, Max, as he might have told you, is the younger brother of May, who you met in Celadon City. Max was the first person I met who knew who I was before hand, having watched me battle in the Silver Conference. Like May, he's always been kind of like a younger sibling I never had. He would always seem to get me in trouble, and he would always criticize me on my battling. _

_At the same time, though, May always told me that he looked up to me, although I think he sometimes idolized Brock a lot more. Nevertheless, he knows more about Pokemon than I could ever dream of knowing. So, like I told you before, he's whom you should go to if you have any questions about Pokemon, or want advice on battle strategies. Or, if he happens to be the gym leader of his hometown, than you'll eventually be going to him for a battle. I hope that you have a fun time in Lavender Town with Max, and that you learn a lot. Lastly, could you give him that hat that I gave you? It's the hat that I wore when I was traveling with him and May, and I thought he might like to have it. _

_Love, _

_Your Father_

"Charlie!"

"Pi pi pi!"

"I'm over here!" Charlie yelled back. Folding up the letter, she placed it back into her bag before standing up.

Walking through the forest, she made her way to Max and Pikachu, hoping to meet them half way.

"There you are!" Max exclaimed when he spotted her walking onto the path. Relief washed over his face, knowing that she was unharmed and safe. He wouldn't want to be responsible for letting his friend's daughter get hurt. "Why'd you run off like that? Don't you know this whole town is haunted?"

"I just needed to think."

"Girls," he groaned, rolling his eyes. "Can we go back to the center now?"

Charlie nodded, brushing past Max as she headed for the center. Wanting to make sure she didn't' run off again, Pikachu hopped on her shoulder. Max just followed behind them, muttering about he would never understand girls.

OOOO

"I'm really sorry, Charlie, but I really need to get back to Petalburg," Max informed her while they were sitting and eating breakfast. "Do you think we can postpone our battle until you come battle me at the gym? That way it will be official, and you'll have a lot more experience."

"That's fine," she sighed. "But before you go, I have something give to you."

"What's that?"

Opening her pack, she pulled out the hat and punched her fist through the inside to retain its shape. After having to wrestle it out of Pikachu's hands before breakfast, it had been severely warped in shape. Handing over the hat, Max offered a huge smile, thrilled to be getting the hat.

"I must be pretty special to be receiving an Ash Ketchum hat," Max remarked, gingerly taking the hat from Charlie's hands. "Brock used to joke that whenever Ash turned his hat backwards, it meant serious business."

Charlie just giggled, amused by the fact that seriousness and her dad would ever be used in the same sentence. She knew he was capable of it when he had to be. But for the most part, her dad seemed to never take anything very serious.

"Alright, well I better be going," Max announced, standing up and placing the hat on his head. "Before I go, though, I just want to give you some last minute advice. The next gym leader you will be facing has psychic Pokemon, so you should use a bug, ghost or dark type Pokemon. If you ever need anything, just let me know. I look forward to our gym battle."

"Thanks for everything, and I'm sorry I ran off last night…"

"No problem," he replied, giving her a smile for assurance. He suddenly set his pack on the table and opened it up, pulling out the DVDs that he had showed Charlie the night before. He set them on the table and slid them over to her. "I think I've seen these more than enough times, and I'm sure you would enjoy them more than I would. I have more of them if you want. Just call me and I'll mail them to you."

"Wow," Charlie awed, picking up the DVDs. "These are great. Thank you. Really."

"See you around!" Max waved before exiting the cafeteria, leaving Charlie once again all alone.

Leaning back in her seat, Charlie tried to think of a strategy for her upcoming gym battle. On her way here, she had caught a Butterfree, but she knew one bug Pokemon wasn't going to cut it against the gym leader, and she didn't have any dark or ghost pokemon. She would stay in Lavender and try to catch a ghost pokemon, but she didn't have the time to. She needed to keep moving. So, she decided, on her way to Saffron, she would have to try and catch a dark, or bug Pokemon. In the meantime, though, she needed to read the next clue.

_6. Saffron City_

_The person you are looking for here is another trainer who is known for participating in contests. The daughter of a Grand Festival Champion, she hails from Sinnoh. Although she may appear to be girly and too focused on her looks, don't let that fool you. She's quite the competition in contest. When you find her, give her the envelope labeled, Dee Dee. And, no need to worry, Charlie. You'll find her._

* * *

><p><em><strong>Apologies for the long time it has taken me to update. I've just been really busy recently. Just so you know, Charlie's current Pokemon are: Totodile, Buizel, Bayleaf, Donphan, Butterfree, and Pikachu. If you have any questionssuggestions or there are things you are confused about, let me know. And for those who are wondering how Ash has managed to write all these letters, that will be explained later with a bit of a twist. (Sorry, no, he's not still alive.) I will try to update as soon as I can, but it definitely might be a while. Thank you to all who have read/favorite/reviewed my story. I really appreciate it.**  
><em>


	7. Search For the Girl

**Quick Author Note:** To Hoenn Master and anyone else who may have wondered this: The Alf that Ash signed at the end of Max's letter was not a typo. When Max and Ash first meet, Max tells Ash that he saw him on T.V. and then proceeds to incorrectly call him Alf. He also introduces him as Alf to his parents later on. Just thought I would clear that up. Now on to the story!_  
><em>

_We all learn to make mistakes_  
><em> And run from them<em>  
><em> From them<em>  
><em> With no direction<em>  
><em> We'll run from them<em>  
><em> From them<em>  
><em> With no conviction<em>

"_Gary! Gary! He's our man! If he can't do it, no one can!" _

"_That's just disgusting," a girl named Ruby sneered. Her arms were folded across her chest and she was glaring daggers at the boy in the red convertible. "He doesn't even need all that stuff. His ego's big enough as it is!" _

"_I don't know," her friend replied as he stood next to the girl and watched. "The car would be really convenient. You wouldn't have to walk everywhere. Imagine all the food you could carry with you." _

"_Really?" she snapped, hitting him on the arm. "Only you would say that, Ash." _

"_Oww, Ruby," he whined, rubbing the spot where she had hit him. _

"_Just because his grandfather's a famous researcher, doesn't mean he has to go and act like he's the greatest thing that's hit Pallet," she ranted. "He's been acting like this for a week and it's driving me crazy." _

"_Well, like you said, we'll probably barely see each other after this. So, you won't have to worry about him." _

"_Yeah," she weakly replied, her anger draining a bit. It quickly came back in the from of determination. "Once I leave tomorrow, I never have to come back to this dumb town or see all these people again."_

_Ash internally flinched a bit, the brutality of her comment hitting close to home. As much as he was excited to go on a journey, he was sad that he would be leaving the friends he had known for so long. He would miss them, and he hoped to one day meet them again, but, Ruby had other plans. _

"_I don't think it's dumb," he casually replied, trying to mask the pain of her comment. "Why would you hate a place like this? There's so much room to run and just do whatever you want. You can't find that in a city." _

"_Yeah. Well, that's where you and I differ." Ash could tell that she wasn't really listening, instead focusing on watching Gary with all the cheerleaders. Suddenly, though, she grabbed Ash's arm and began to yank him down the hill. "I don't care who he thinks he is. This is our last night together and we're getting our friend back. Let's go, Ash!"_

OOOO

In a small apartment, two friends watched as their friend ran around the room, grabbing various items. The woman in question wore a peach colored dress, a grey scarf, and jade-green rain boots, while her reddish brown hair was thrown up into a messy bun with a green, flowered clip.

"Ruby, this is crazy!" her friend, a woman with blonde hair and hazel eyes, yelled as Ruby continued to run around the room. "Elliot, tell her she's crazy."

Elliot just shrugged, knowing better than to get in the middle. He had been friends with Ruby for quite a while, so he knew better than to stop her when she was on a mission.

"I don't care, Maggie. I have to do this," Ruby replied, throwing a few clothes into a green backpack.

"Ruby, you know how many people live in Kanto?" her friend Maggie questioned her. "It's going to be impossible to find her. You don't even know what she looks like now!"

Ruby stood up for a second to face her friend before giving a little laugh. "Impossible never stopped me. You should know this by now, Mags. And I'll know her when I see her."

Maggie just rolled her eyes. If there was one thing about her friend that drove her nuts, it was Ruby's stubborn approach to every thing. "Yeah, neither could a speeding bullet train."

"Where are you going to start looking, Ruby?" Elliot asked, trying to distract the two women from arguing. Although the two were good friends, they differed in personality, often leading to them clashing.

"I'll figure that out later. Right now I just need to pack," Ruby replied. She wasn't one to plan ahead, often thinking and making it up as she went. She knew it often led her into problems, but that's how she was. She followed her instinct and relied on luck along the way.

"Ruby," her friend Maggie groaned in annoyance, "if you don't even know where to start looking, how are you going to find her?'

"Mother's instinct?" Ruby replied, much to the annoyance of her friend.

"You should try Pallet Town," Elliot suggested. "I'm guessing that's probably where she would have gotten her first Pokemon, so maybe they know where you could find her."

At this, Ruby visibly shuddered, dropping her bag onto the floor. Turning her back on her friends, she leaned down to pick the bag up. "No. I can't go there," she told them, as she tried to distract herself.

"But you may get a really good lead as to where she is," Elliot countered.

"Yeah! And isn't that where her dad grew up?" Maggie added.

"No," Ruby snapped back. "I'm not going there. I'll try somewhere else."

Elliot and Maggie just sighed, knowing there was no convincing her otherwise. To this day, they had never known why Ruby refused to go to Pallet. Other than the fact that Ruby was a very private person, she had never really told them much about her past. While Elliot didn't know anything about Ruby's past, Maggie had been told some information, leading her to at least have a guess as to why Ruby hated Pallet. Ruby had grown up in Pallet as a kid, but the minute she started her Pokemon journey, she left and never returned. After that, the only time she had ever mentioned the small, Kanto town again was when Ruby had mentioned that her Charlotte's father grew up in the town. Maggie assumed that's how Ruby had met him.

"Fine," Elliot sighed in defeat. "But we need to start somewhere. We have to have a plan before we leave."

"He's right, Ruby."

Ruby sighed, setting her bag onto the couch. Sitting down, she rested her head on the palm of her hand, her bangs falling in front of her eyes. "What do you suggest then, Elliot?"

"Well, I say we start in Viridian City," Maggie blurted out. "That's where you two used to live, so, someone's bound to have seen her or know where she is."

"But Maggie…" Ruby's voice wavered a little out of fear, "…what if he's still there? I can't face him again after what I did to them. I haven't talked to him in seven years."

"Ruby, you're not asking him to take you back. You just want to know where your daughter is. The past is the past, and you can't change what happened. You know you made a mistake, and you know what might happen because of what you chose many years ago. All you can do now is move forward."

"I don't know," Ruby sighed. "I just don't know."

"Ruby, I think we should wait," Elliot explained.

"What?" Ruby yelped, shooting her head up to look at her friend. "Are you crazy?"

"No," he calmly replied. "I just think that if we want to find Charlotte, it might be best for us to wait until the Pokemon League. If she's a trainer, she's bound to end up there. When that time comes, we can head over to Indigo Plateau and start asking around. It would narrow down our area of search."

"You guys can do that if you want, but I'm going now," Ruby declared, standing up once again. "I'll head to Viridian and start from there. If I can't find her by the time of the league, I'll meet you guys there."

"But Ruby! You haven't traveled in years," Maggie yelled, trying to find any reason to get her friend to stay. "And what about my contest? You said you'd come and watch."

"You'll be fine, Maggie," Ruby tried to assure her friend. "And you know me. I never stay in one place for very long. This is, after all, my third apartment in six months. I live out of my suitcase. I'll be fine."

"Ruby…"

Ruby just ignored them as she grabbed the Pokeballs sitting on the side table. Pushing past her friends, she made her way to the front door. Grabbing her keys out of the bowl on the table by the door, she threw them over to Elliot, who was thrown off guard.

"I'll keep you guys updated. In the meantime, I'll be back later. Lock up when you leave."

With that she walked out, shutting the door behind her.

"Do you think she'll find her?" Maggie asked.

"Who knows?" Elliot shrugged. "It's Ruby, though. She'll never give up until she finds Charlotte."

"That's what I was afraid of."

OOOO

It was around dinnertime when Ruby finally arrived in Viridian City. At this time, most of the people that lived there were inside for the night, or on their way home from work. As she walked through the crowd, she tried to figure out where the best place for her to start her search might be. She could head to the Pokemon Center and see if the Nurse Joy there had ever met Charlotte. Maybe she could even tell her where Charlotte's father lived, assuming he still resided here. She didn't make it to the center, however, instead coming across a training school that advertised classes for trainers to take before they left.

"If Charlotte is on her journey, then she had to have come here at some point," Ruby told her Leafeon that was tagging along side her. The Pokemon just nodded, letting out a big yawn.

According to the sign posted on the glass doors of the school, it was open for about ten more minutes. That would give Ruby just enough time to ask the owner about Charlotte, hopefully giving her and address she could then go check out. When she entered the main lobby of the school, it was practically empty with only a receptionist sitting at a desk in the far end of the room.

"May I help you?" the receptionist kindly asked Ruby.

"Can I speak to the owner, please?"

"Certainly. His office is just down the hall. Third door on the right," the woman explained, showing Ruby the way by pointing to the hallway to her right.

With a thank you, Ruby made her way down the hallway before stopping in front of a brown door. Lifting her hand and making a fist, she lightly knocked on the door and waited for the owner to come to the door. It wasn't very long before the owner told her to come it, but she still felt like it had been an eternity due to how she was feeling at the time. She really wanted to find Charlotte, but she was terrified of how the meeting would go, or even if she would find her. Due to her decisions in the past, she couldn't help but feel that there was a slim chance Charlotte's father would ever let her see her daughter. She understood he was only trying to protect her, but he was the kind of person who would jump through hoops to protect those close to him.

She twisted the knob and pushed the door open before walking in the room, her Leafeon tailing in behind her. Shutting the door, she waited patiently for the man to turn around and acknowledge her arrival. While she waited, she glanced around the room that seemed really empty compared to most offices she had seen. There were two plaques hanging in the far right corner that were for awards given for Pokemon Researching, while on the table to the right of her, there was a stack of videos and papers. What caught Ruby's eye, however, was a picture she spotted on the man's next, just to his left. It was one of only three pictures sitting on his desk, and in it, she spotted a younger version of herself squeezed between a boy with black hair, and a boy with brown hair.

"Gary?" she caught herself saying before she could take it back.

The man at his desk lifted up his head and spun around in his chair to face Ruby, his eyes widening in shock.

"Ruby?" He stood up from his chair and slowly walked over to greet her. Before Ruby could react, though, she felt herself being engulfed in a hug by Gary Oak of all people. Releasing his grip, he stepped back to get a good look at her. "I can't believe you're here. I thought I'd never see you again."

"Yeah…well, I'm here," she meekly replied. She really didn't' know how to react. There was no doubt she was shocked to see Gary, not having seen him in a while, but she wasn't so sure if she was as relieved to see him as he was to see her. "I can't say I was expecting you either…"

"What's wrong?" he asked her, his face reflecting a look of concern. It had been years since he had seen his childhood friend, but he was somehow still able to tell when something was bothering her. As he glanced over her face, trying to figure it out, his once concerned look quickly transformed into one of his famous smirks. "You're in trouble again, aren't you? And you need the help of Gary Oak, don't you?"

Was she that obvious? It was true that as a kid, Gary had always been there to fight off the boys or girls that would tease her, but that wasn't the reason she was here. Plus, after a while, she no longer needed him, building up a tolerance of her own against the kids who teased her. she stopped, But she technically wasn't in trouble...Or, at least, not yet.

"Well, yeah," she sighed in defeat.

"Well, you're just in time. I was just about to finish up painting one of the training rooms. If you help me out, I'll help you."

She folded her arms, annoyed that he wasn't going to give out the information as easily has she had hoped. Before she could say anything, though, Gary shoved a paintbrush and a smock in her hand. After that he grabbed the buckets of paint she had missed on the way in and exited the office. Once she was sure he was out of earshot, she stomped her foot and let out a yell of frustration. Almost twenty years later, and he still hadn't changed a bit.

OOOO

"So what brings you to Viridian?" Gary asked as he stared to apply a fresh coat of paint to one of the training rooms. "You were looking for me weren't you? Just couldn't bare the thought of going so long without my charm."

"Please," she snorted, dipping her paintbrush into the can of paint before angrily smacking it against the wall. "My life was so much better without your inflated ego everyday."

"Whatever you say Roo Roo," he smirked. Ruby paused paining for a second, taking in what he had just called her. When she did, her anger flared up again. She despised that nickname as a kid, threatening to beat up Gary and Ash whenever they called her that. She knew it was all part of their goal to annoy her, making sure to shout it as many times as they could, but that didn't mean she couldn't hate it. "You'd have no friends if it wasn't for Ashy boy and I."

"Some friends you guys were. Between you and him, I don't know who was more annoying. Probably you, though."

"Ouch, Roo Roo. That one stung. Just as temperamental as ever I see. Ashy boy always did have a soft spot for feisty red heads."

"What?" Ruby gasped, almost dropping her paintbrush. _Does he know?_

She suddenly felt herself start to panic a bit at the possibility that Gary might have known what happened between her and Ash. If he did, what would he say? How would she explain to him that she had fled years ago, and now, she was looking for the same girl she had ran away from. He would probably know where Ash lived, but would he give her the information after knowing what she did?

"Relax, Ruby. I was only kidding," Gary replied, rolling his eyes a bit. "Besides, you're more my type anyway."

She quickly turned her head to hide the small blush that was quickly appearing. She tried her best to give off a laugh, but it came out more like a nervous one.

The two continued to paint, the silence starting to become very bothersome to Gary. He hadn't seen Ruby since they were kids, so he wanted to start out on a good note by teasing her like he always did. Now, though, since she was here, he wanted to take the opportunity to finally ask her a question that had been left unanswered for five years.

"Ruby, why weren't you there?"

"Where?"

"Ash's funeral. Why didn't you come?"

The paintbrush fell from her hands, crashing to the floor, leaving a huge stain of paint where it landed. "Hi-his what?" she stuttered.

"His funeral? You know? The one _five_ years ago?"

She could feel her legs start to wobble a bit as they slowly began to give up on her. Her breathing sped up, and she felt like she had air stuck in her throat. She wouldn't believe it. He was Ash: the boy who did the most daring things and laughed at danger. He talked non-stop about Pokemon, claiming he would catch them all and one day become a Pokemon Master. There was no way he could be gone.

For unknown reasons, Gary felt himself getting angry with her. He had wanted to ask her for years why she hadn't attended the funeral, and now with her here, he couldn't help but want to yell at her and tell her what he really thought about her actions in the past. It was as if, at this moment, everything she had done to tick him off had built up and was now boiling over. To make matters worse, she obviously had no idea what had happened.

"You were supposed to be there, Ruby! Every single one of his friends showed up, including people who barely knew him. They all showed up except you. You know why?" Out of fear, Ruby said nothing, instead just shaking her head. "It's because whenever life gets too stressful for you, you get selfish and you run away. Ms. Ketchum kept asking me if you were coming, but I had to tell her that I didn't know. She needed you Ruby. _I _needed you."

"I didn't know," she managed to squeak out. _Nobody told me. _

"If you cared about anybody in Pallet you would have known," he sneered. Gary's once blue eyes had turned a dark hue of blue, reflecting the anger he was feeling. "But Pallet and the people there weren't good enough for you. Or at least, we were only good enough when it was convenient to you. I remember you told us the day before our journey that once you left you were never coming back. I just didn't know that applied to your friend's funeral, Ruby."

"You could have looked me up in the phone book and found me that way!" she yelled back at him.

"I tried! But all I got was a message telling me the phone was disconnected. When I tried asking your parents, they told me they didn't even know where you were. When Ash needed you, you weren't there. He was always there for you, though. Always looking out for you when we were kids."

Before Ruby could retort back, Gary interrupted her, now on a roll.

"He has a kid, too. A daughter. Did you know that? Her name's Charlie. I met her when she was getting her first Pokemon. She now has to grow up without a dad, and my grandfather told me her mom isn't around and that I can't say anything to Delia about her yet. I know Ash has other friends, but you and I have known him the longest. Because of that, you and I need to step up and take care of her for Ash, but I know you. You won't do it because it'll become too stressful. So just run away now, Ruby. Get it over with before you get involved in her life. You let Ash down when he needed you. I won't let you let his daughter down, too."

It had been ages since she had seen Gary this mad before. The last time she had, they were kids and he and Ash were yelling at some boys for having picked on her. She had watched in fear, thanking the heavens that she wasn't one of those boys Gary and Ash had screamed at. Now, however, she was just like those boys. She was on the receiving end of the normally calm Gary, and it scared her.

She wanted to tell him that she knew about Ash's daughter if only to show she still cared. But by doing that, she would be treading into waters she didn't want to. For, by telling him she knew about Charlotte, she would have to tell him about how she had done exactly what he was mad at her for. At the same time, though, she knew she had to do something. Gary could lead her to Charlotte, and she could make it up to Ash and Charlotte for all the years she had let them down. But instead, just like normal, she resorted to expressing herself through anger.

"What makes you think you're the best one to take care of her? Why do you even care? You used to tease Ash to no end and make him feel like crap when we were kids," she retorted as she glared at him. "Are you going to ridicule his daughter, too?" _Are you going to make her feel like she was never good enough just like you did to Ash?_

"Unlike you, Ruby, I grew up," he snapped. "Before he died we became good friends, but since I did tease him ruthlessly as a kid, I'm going to make it up to him by helping his daughter."

"Ugh!" She screamed, balling her hands into fists as she slammed through air. "Why should I bother helping you? You never once cared about me!"

Gary blinked, shocked by what she had said. "Is that what you really think?" he questioned her. "That I never cared about you?"

"Think? I _know_," Ruby sneered. " We used to be best friends, Gary. You, Ash and I. But then you changed and Ash and I became your back up friends when your "real" friends wouldn't invite you to things. We were scum compared to your other friends and those stupid cheerleaders!"

"Ruby..." Gary pleaded, his anger having greatly decreased in intensity.

The tables had turned, though, and now Ruby was on a roll.

"We tried so hard to be good enough for you because you were the only one who even acknowledged our existence. No girl in Pallet wanted a bug lover for a best friend, and no boy wanted Ash as a friend, because they all knew he as ten times better than they were. That's why I left Pallet and vowed never to return. I tried to convince Ash to do the same thing, but he loved that dumb town too much. I was there for him when you pushed him away, and now that he's dead, I'm suddenly the bad guy and you're the superhero?" She stopped to recollect herself, her chest heaving from all the yelling. "Ash is gone, Gary. You don't need to replace him by suddenly acting like you care about everyone."

"Ruby, I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to blame you," Gary tried to backtrack. He knew it wouldn't work, though. Despite the front she put up, Ruby was fragile inside, had little trust in people and never forgave them easily. It would take ages for him to get her to even consider believing him, let alone forgive him."I know you don't believe me, but I always cared about you and Ash. I was just never good at showing it."

"People never forget, Gary." Unknown to Gary, her words had a double meaning. While she was referring to the way Gary had treated her and Ash, she was also talking about her own treatment toward Ash and Charlotte. She knew she was a hypocrite for yelling at him about what he did to someone, but she didn't care. Like he had said, she was selfish and only cared about her own feelings. "Oh, and when you find Charlie, let me know how you explained to her why her father called you his friend when you treated him like crap for four years."

Before he could say anything else, she turned on her heel and sped walked to the door, making sure to slam it behind her. Gary watched her go, staring at the closed door long after she had left. Breaking out of his trance, he kicked the paint can, sending paint flying all over the place. After years of wondering where she was, she had appeared and all he had done was chase her away. _She was right there_, his mind screamed at him. _Right there and you blew it! She was your only connection to Ash and now she's gone again. You told her to run away, and that's exactly what she did. _

He would never admit it, but, despite what Ruby thought, he had always cared deeply for her. As a kid, he wanted her to think he was cool and tough, but in the end she had the better friendship with Ash. He really hadn't meant to yell at her like that. He was just frustrated and he wanted answers. He wanted to know why she wasn't at the funeral when he needed her. After they had departed on their journeys, his friendship with Ash had practically died, being replaced by friendships with people such as Brock, Misty, May and Dawn. So, at the funeral, when they all had each other and Ms. Ketchum had his grandfather, Gary wanted Ruby. She was proof that he was once friends with Ash and not just rivals and he needed her there. So, when she hadn't showed up, he had been angry, and when she had shown up in his office today, he once again felt those feelings all over again.

Sliding down against the wall, Gary held his head in his hands. And for what felt like the first time in ages, he needed Ash.

_What do I do now , Ash?_

Meanwhile, after reaching the center and getting herself a room, Ruby found herself curled up on the bed, trying her hardest not to cry. Ash had been gone for five years and nobody had told her. She had missed his funeral and now her daughter was without a mother or a father. With this new information, she began to ponder new questions. Questions such as, where had Charlotte been since Ash died? Did she know who her mother was? Had she been at the funeral? And most importantly to Ruby, was she okay? As she pondered these questions, the tears finally started to fall as she realized that all of this could have been prevented if she hadn't fled all those years ago. Because of this, she wondered if she was just better off calling quits on her search for Charlotte. Charlotte didn't know who she was, and just appearing in her life after being gone for seven years would not be beneficial to her in any way. But she wanted to know her daughter like she never got the chance to. She wanted a active life that revolved around a kid and not moving from apartment to apartment because she was bored_. _She could stay here and wait or come back in three or four months when Charlotte would probably be here.

It was times like these where, when she was a kid, she always seemed to find herself sitting in the tree house in Ash's backyard venting to Ash about her latest problem, while he sat and listened attentively. He wasn't here to give her the answers she needed, though. And if she was, he probably wouldn't give them to her anyway. So, while she sat on her bed letting the tears fall and wishing her friend was here to tell her what to do, she felt herself give a weak smile as she found comfort in the humor that she was staying in the Pokemon Center Ash had once destroyed. It had been one of the few stories he had told her about his travels, but oddly enough, it worked for now. And unlike the more sentimental questions one might ask the dead, she couldn't help but giggle at the question that popped into her head.

_How's the food in heaven, Ashy boy?_

* * *

><p><strong>*Crosses fingers this chapter wasn't a failure* I wanted to write a chapter-maybe eventually chapters-about Charlie's mother since some people were wondering who she was and if she would appear in the story. I hope this chapter worked out and that you enjoyed it. Fill free to let me know what you think. I will try to get the next chapter out as soon as I can. (It will be back to Charlie's journey.) Thanks for all the support! :)<strong>

**P.S.: The satisfaction of getting it right to whoever can guess where the title of the chapter came from. (It is Pokemon Related. I promise.)  
><strong>


	8. Dee Dee

_Hakuna Matata! What a wonderful phrase_  
><em> Hakuna Matata! Ain't no passing craze<em>  
><em> It means no worries for the rest of your days<em>  
><em> It's our problem-free philosophy<em>  
><em> Hakuna Matata!<em>

"Brock!"

"Uh, hey, Dawn."

"Don't hey Dawn me. Why are you still in Pewter?" Pressing her face against the glass, the blue-haired coordinator eyed her friend suspiciously. "You said you were on your way."

"I was, but something came up last minute," he lied.

"You _KNOW_ how long I've been here?" she screeched. Brock just shook his head, clueless to what was going on. "Three weeks!"

"Piplup!" Dawn's penguin Pokemon yelled, popping its head onto the screen.

Shoving Piplup out of the way, Dawn resumed her rant about how Brock had not shown up. "You told me it was an emergency and that I get here as soon as I can. I'm starting to think this wasn't an emergency, considering YOU haven't shown up yet. I've got things I need to do, so, if you're not here in 24 hours, Brock, I'm going back to Sinnoh."

Brock sighed, massaging his forehead. He had anticipated that the reason she needed to be there would have arrived already, but apparently, it appeared as if they were behind schedule. He could try and take a chance, but if Dawn left, then that would ruin everything. Plus, he knew it would take a miracle or the truth to get her to come back if that happened. If he wanted her to stay, he'd have to go.

"Fine," he sighed in defeat. "I'll be there in the morning. Just don't…just don't leave."

"I'm at the Pokemon Center just like you said."

"Okay. Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Oh! Before you go. Do you think you can bring Pikachu? Piplup and Buneary really miss him."

"I'll see what I can do…"

"Okay. Thanks! Bye!"

OOOO

"Look, Pikachu! We made it to Saffron City!"

The little Pokemon popped out of her backpack where it had been sleeping. When he surveyed the area to see that they were in fact in Saffron City, he gave a cry of glee. Hopping out the backpack, he climbed onto Charlie's head so he could get a better look at everything.

Unlike Lavender Town, Charlie once again found herself in a big city, but not quite as big as Celadon. To her surprise, she saw numerous amounts of trainers lining the streets with their Pokemon. They weren't battling or training, though, instead instructing their Pokemon to perform various tricks and maneuvers.

"Are they trying out for the circus, Pikachu?" Charlie asked.

Pikachu just laughed at her, irritating Charlie a bit. She didn't particularly enjoy being laughed at, let alone by a Pokemon. Obviously, Pikachu knew something about what was going on that she didn't. Ignoring Pikachu, Charlie made her way to the Pokemon Center so that she could find somewhere to stay for the night. Plus, maybe she could investigate why all these trainers were here.

The doors slid open to the center as she made her way inside. After walking for what seemed like forever, Charlie had finally found the center nestled between two big skyscrapers off the main road. Why the center was this far away from everything, she didn't quite know. Regardless, she was glad to have finally found it, tired from all the walking and traveling.

When she walked through the sliding doors, however, the scene unfolding in front of her stopped her.

"Nurse Joy, you look like you could use some help. Thank goodness I'm here to save the day. Shh. Don't tell anyone, but I'm really a superhero."

Raising her eyebrows in shock, Charlie couldn't believe who was in front of her. "Pikachu, is that..."

"Chu," Pikachu groaned. Hopping off Charlie's head, he ran over to where Brock was standing. Unknown to Brock, electricity started to dance around Pikachu's face as he charged up an attack, while Charlie looked on, not quite sure how to react."Pi-Ka-Chu!"

Lightening engulfed Brock as Pikachu attacked him with a Thunderbolt, leaving Brock sprawled out on the floor. Gasping in shock, Charlie ran over to Brock's side to see if he was okay.

"Pikachu! What'd you do that for?" she yelled at him.

"Pikachu, I think that was some overkill," Brock groaned as he sat up, rubbing his head. Pikachu, having underestimated his own power, drooped his ears in embarrassment. "Charlie?"

"I'm really sorry about that," Charlie apologized, grimacing a bit. "I didn't know he was going to do that. It's great to see you, though. What are you doing in Saffron? Did my dad send you?"

Standing up, Brock shook off the pain before turning back to Charlie. "Oh. No. I'm just here to meet someone.

"Really?" she asked eagerly. "Is it someone I'm supposed to meet? Maybe you can help me find them!"

To Brock, Charlie sounded like a little kid who was telling him about their most favorite thing in the whole world. Or rather, she sounded more like Ash when he would talk about Pokemon or food. He could see the hope on her face, praying that maybe he would help her in her quest to find Ash's friends. He really wanted to help her, but he couldn't help but feel as if he would be helping her cheat. He knew that Ash wanted her to find these people on her own, so any help from him would be going against what Ash wanted.

"I'd love to help you, Charlie, but I think you should do this on your own."

He felt a little bad when he saw her once lit up face suddenly reflect one of rejection. The weird thing about it, was that, unlike he had suspected, in no way did it reflect the look of disappointment he sometimes saw on Ash. Instead, it reflected that of another person, most likely Charlie's mother.

"It's okay," she sighed. "I understand."

"You'll find her, though. Don't worry," he tried to comfort her. If she had successfully found everyone else so far, there was no doubt that she would be able to find Dawn. At least, that's whom he assumed she was supposed to find.

"You mean no need to worry," she beamed back at him. Her face faulted for a second, as if she was trying to recall something to make sure she was indeed correct. "Or, at least, that's what my dad would always tell me."

Brock laughed lightly, knowing all to well where Ash had stolen that phrase. Despite that fact that Ash had disappeared on them, Charlie had clearly displayed that he still kept a bit of his friends with him, passing some things about them on to his daughter. Now he was left wondering what Ash might have passed on that had to do with him.

Speaking of Dawn…

"Can I borrow Pikachu?" When Brock had called Misty to see if he could borrow Pikachu for Dawn, she had told him that Pikachu wasn't there and that she had sent her to Charlie. Originally, he was just going to tell Dawn that Pikachu was visiting Ms. Ketchum, but now that Charlie was here-with Pikachu-he wouldn't have to lie to Dawn. "My, uh, friend wanted to meet him."

"So it _is_ someone I'm supposed to meet? Hmmm?"

Unfortunately for Brock, Charlie was a lot smarter than her dad. And unlike Ash, she didn't let much get past her. This was something Brock would have to get used to, never having to worry much about it before.

"No. Charlie, don't worry about it. I mean no need to worry. Just lend me Pikachu, and I'll bring him back to the center tonight, alright?"

"Why should I let you borrow Pikachu?" she asked, folding her arms across her chest. Charlie was very suspicious now. It didn't make sense why Brock wanted to borrow Pikachu, but not let her meet the friend he was showing Pikachu to. _It is technically my Pokemon, right?_ She understood he wanted her to find people on her own, but if the person was easily accessible through Brock, she wasn't going to take the long way to find them. "Your not using him to pick up a girl are you?"

"You know, for Ash's daughter, you have quite the attitude. Are you sure you're not at all related to Misty?"

"No," she snapped. After a second, she let her arms fall to her side. "Why does everyone keep asking me that?"

"No reason," Brock quickly replied. He really never anticipated it being this difficult to get Pikachu. He only needed him as long as it took Charlie to find Dawn. "Now are you going to give me Pikachu? I'm supposed to meet my friend very soon."

Now Charlie was smart and cunning, so she knew how she could use this to her advantage. If Brock wanted Pikachu, he was going to have to first give Charlie information she wanted.

"I'll give you Pikachu," she told him. Brock's face lit up, glad to have finally gotten what he wanted. As he went to grab Pikachu from Charlie, though, he was quickly halted by Charlie's hand in front of his face. "But you have to do something for me. Either you introduce me to your friend, who I KNOW is someone my dad wants me to find. Or, you can explain to me why people seem to think that I'm Misty's daughter."

_How had Ash's daughter become so…devious?_ Brock wondered to himself.

Brock didn't want to have to explain to Charlie the whole Misty thing, so he opted for helping her out in finding Dawn.

"Fine. I'll introduce you to my friend," he finally gave in._ I really tried, Ash. She just drives a really hard bargain. Please understand,_ he silently prayed to himself. "But for the time being, your name is…uh…Cara Mel."

"Cara Mel? Charlie asked, shooting him a look that fell somewhere between confusion and disgust. "It's that just Caramel split up?"

"Your dad was Ashley," Brock shot back. "You want to be that? You could also be An Chovy."

"What?"

"I'll tell you about that later," he replied, brushing her off. "We've got to go. Come on."

OOOO

Shortly after leaving the center, Brock had led Charlie to a small café, where he was supposed to meet the friend she was being introduced to. Since they were a bit earlier, they got a table and had been waiting for the friend to arrive.

"Brock!" Charlie turned around to see a girl with blue hair and a penguin looking Pokemon on her head running over to the their table. When she ran up to them, she almost collided with a waiter who was carrying a tray filled with food. While the waiter gracefully maneuvered himself around Dawn, she wasn't so lucky, slipping on something Brock and Charlie couldn't see. Slipping and falling, she sent the Pokemon on her head tumbling to the ground. Before they could rush to her side, she hopped up as if nothing had happened. "I'm okay! No need to worry!" she shouted at them.

"Piplup! Pip! Pip!" the Pokemon angrily shouted at the girl. Before Dawn could try and apologize, Piplup jumped on her shoulder and started to peck her, continuing to yell.

Brock just sighed and shook his head. "She always did know how to make an entrance," he murmured just loud enough for Charlie to hear. As the people at the restaurant looked on at Dawn and Piplup's squabble, Brock made sure to add, "And make a scene."

In the end, Dawn won the argument by recalling Piplup into his Pokeball, much to the Pokemon's dismay. Brushing herself off, she then made her way to the table, where she greeted Brock by taking a swing at his arm with her fist. "That's for not showing up when you were supposed to!"

"Ow," he winced, while Charlie giggled under her breath.

Between Charlie and Dawn, he wasn't sure which girl was causing him the most trouble. In the end, though, he determined that today was just not his day and that no matter how hard he tried to avoid it, some girl was going to cause him trouble.

"Pikaka!" Pikachu cried, jumping off Charlie's head and onto the table.

"Hey, Pikachu!" Dawn giggled, patting him on his head. After she had greeted Pikachu, she finally took notice of Charlie. "Who's this, Brock? Is she one of your siblings?"

"Uh, no. This is Cara Mel," Brock quickly introduced her. "Her dad's an old traveling buddy of mine. I ran into her in the center, and when she found out I was meeting you here, she really wanted to meet you. Apparently she's a big fan of yours, Dawn, and she's watched all your contest battles."

_What? _Charlie felt herself wanting to shout. _What's Brock doing? Old traveling buddy of mine? He's going to give it away! Big fan of yours? Watches your contest battles? I don't know anything about Dawn, let alone things about her contest battles. I don't even know what Pokemon she has!_

"Aww, thanks," Dawn softly smiled. She'd never had someone tell her that they were a big fan of hers before. People would always tell her how they were big fans of her mother. "If you like contests, then are you here to enter the one tomorrow?'

_Is that why I saw all those people training their Pokemon to do tricks?_

"I-"

"Yep!" Brock interrupted, answering the question for her. Charlie whirled around in her sear, gaping at Brock. Did he really just do what she thought he did? She'd never done a contest before. She barely knew anything about them. Yeah she had watched some with her dad every now and then, but her dad was a Pokemon Trainer; he taught her how to battle with Pokemon, not how to enter them in contests. "It's her first contest."

_At least he passed me off as a newbie._

"Really?" Charlie could tell that Dawn was getting really excited about her "participating" in the contest. Charlie wasn't so sure if she felt the same way. "Since it's your first contest, I'd be more than happy to help you. I could teach you some techniques to use with your Pokemon."

"Uh…"

"Dawn's really good, Cara. You'll win for sure with her help," Brock assured her.

"Okay. I guess I could use the help," Charlie finally decided. _Guess? I'm going to need all the help I can get to win this one. _

"Great! We'll discuss strategy after lunch when I can see your Pokemon," Dawn beamed in her peppy voice. With that settled, she finally sat down and turned toward Brock. Brock felt the temperature of the air around him suddenly drop as Dawn's peppy smile turned into a devilish smirk. "So Brock. What was this _big_ emergency you wanted me to come all the way to Saffron for?"

"He, he," Brock laughed nervously. "There was no emergency?"

At this, Dawn's anger started to increase with each word she spoke. "You mean to tell me that you made me come _all the way_ from Sinnoh on a ticket that cost me my last _three _contest winnings for no apparent reason?"

"Well now you have a reason," Brock pointed out. "You're going to help Cara! See? It all worked out in the end. No need to worry."

Dawn just groaned, banging her head on the table.

"Mmmm. I'm starving," Brock blurted, rubbing his stomach for enforcement. Charlie just rolled her eyes, while Dawn, who had stopped hitting her head, glared daggers at Brock. "Let's order."

OOOO

The next morning, Charlie found herself sitting in the back room, waiting for the contest to begin. When she had gotten there this morning, Dawn had rushed her off to the dressing room so that she could help her get ready for the contest, since, according to Dawn, it wasn't just the Pokemon that needed to look nice. To Charlie's surprise, the dress that Dawn had given her-a simple yellow dress that ended at the knees and had a blue ribbon in the middle-had been designed by Dawn herself, as well as sewn by Brock. In addition to the dress, Dawn had also given Charlie a Pokeball capsule and a sticker to stick on it for Totodile.

"It's a Sinnoh thing," Dawn had told her.

Now however, Dawn was gone and Charlie was left by herself surrounded by people she didn't know, who looked a lot more experienced than she was.

"I can't wait to see Cara!" Dawn bubbled with excitement. She was seated in the stands next to Brock since she had already won this city's ribbon years ago. "She's going to be great. I just know it!"

"I'm sure she'll be fine," Brock nodded in agreement. "You did a good job working with her."

"Well it wasn't very hard," Dawn laughed. To her surprise, Charlie's Pokemon had been learned fairly quickly, and Charlie herself caught on fast, too. "The way she commanded Pikachu and Totodile for the appeal was as if she had been doing this for years. She's a natural at it, Brock, although, call me crazy, but when I watched her train for the battle part, her technique reminded me a lot of Ash's."

Brock caught himself laughing rather nervously, afraid Dawn might have figured it out. He hadn't thought that Charlie's battle technique would be a give away to Ash. "Well, he did run that training school in Viridian, and she is from there. Maybe she took some lessons from him."

"Yeah. Maybe you're right," Dawn sighed, turning back to the contest field.

_Phew. Thank goodness for that_, Brock sighed in relief.

They watched a few trainers go by, a lot of them beginners just like Charlie. There was a girl who used a Butterfree and Beautifly, a boy who used an Aipom and Squirtle, and then another boy who used his Seel and Spheal to do circus tricks. After them, a woman named Maggie came out with her Ninetales and Vulpix, causing Dawn to groan in annoyance.

"I can't stand her," Dawn growled. Brock looked over to see Dawn leaning on the edge of her seat with her hands balled up into fists at her side. He rarely ever saw Dawn get angry, the only time he remembered being when Paul forgot her name. So, for Dawn to get all riled up when this girl showed up was a sight to see. "She thinks she's so great because she won the Doubles Championship with her friend, Ruby. The only reason she won is because of Ruby."

"Whoa."

"Yeah," Dawn stated affirmatively. "We call her the HB of the contest world."

"HB?"

"Humongous Bitch," Dawn explained. "She's like the female version of Paul in the contest world. I hope Cara creams her with Pikachu."

* * *

><p>Back stage, Charlie was standing behind the curtain, waiting her turn. She hadn't been too nervous before, but now that her appeal was finally here, she was starting to feel the nerves. She knew that Brock and Dawn would be watching, as well as many other people unlike in gym battles. If she messed up, people would see her, and it would probably be ages before they would forget. Taking a deep breath, she composed herself and took on a better attitude.<p>

"Wish me luck, Dad," she whispered quietly to herself.

"In her big debut in the contest world, we have new comer, Charlotte West from Viridian City!" the announcer yelled, her voice echoing across the stadium.

"Shit," Brock swore under his breath. He had forgotten that when Charlie signed up to enter the contest, they would use her real name since it was the one registered to her Pokedex. "But why is it West?" _Wouldn't it be Ketchum?_

Dawn leaned forward a bit so that she could get a closer look, but she almost fell forward into the next row when Charlie ran out onto the field. "Wait, but that's Cara…"

"Hmm. Maybe they mixed up the order," Brock suggested, hoping he could still throw Dawn off. "Happens sometimes you know."

"Or," Dawn snapped as she turned on Brock, "they're correct, and _you're_ the one not telling me something."

"You're going to miss her appeal."

Grumbling in annoyance, Dawn turned back to Charlie with plans of dealing with Brock later.

"Totodile!" Lifting her arms up in a graceful fashion, Charlie brought her one arm in front of her and threw Totodile's Pokeball up into the air above her. "Let's go!"

When Totodile emerged from his Pokeball, Charlie instructed him to use Rain Dance. Dance Totodile did, as rain started falling onto the field as he twirled and hopped around the stage. Leaping off Charlie's head Pikachu ran over to the middle of the stage.

"Ready Pikachu? Use Thunderbolt!" Charlie commanded.

Charging up his cheeks, Pikachu unleashed a thunderbolt toward the cloud Totodile had created. When the two met, there was a crackle like thunder as lightening shot back down onto the stage. In no time, the space above the stage had been filled with clouds, creating one giant thunderstorm. As the crowd awed at the spectacle, Charlie beamed with confidence, thrilled her appeal had worked perfectly. When the appeal had ended, and the clouds had drifted away, Charlie bowed and waved to the crowd.

OOOO

Despite Brock's protests, Dawn left the stadium during the break to go and check on Charlie and to give her a small pep talk before her battles begin. At least, that's what she had told Brock she was doing. In reality, she wanted to find out who Charlie truly was and why they had hid her identity from her. When she reached the backstage area, she was just about to walk through the door when she heard Charlie talking. Pausing just outside the door, she listened in.

"You were awesome, Pikachu!" Charlie praised him, scratching under his chin for added enforcement. Giving a squeak of content, Pikachu rubbed his cheek against Charlie's arm. "I bet Dawn's really mad at Brock, though. I didn't realize they announced your real name."

"Pi," Pikachu replied.

"Imagine if they had announced me as Charlotte Ketchum," Charlie laughed. Pikachu folded his arms and just shook his head. "Brock's lie would have fallen apart on the spot. I wonder how long he's going to keep this up? I mean Dawn's bound to find out I'm his daughter, right? Plus, I still need to give her that letter."

_Ketchum? Daughter?_

"Oh. My. God." Charlie whirled around to see Dawn standing behind her with her hands covering her mouth and a look of peer disbelief on her face. "You're-you're his daughter? He has a daughter?"

"I guess she figured it out, Pikachu." Setting Pikachu on the bench, Charlie stood up and approached Dawn. "Um, I should probably explain a few things to you. First of all, my name's Charlie Ketchum and, your friend Ash? Well, he's kind of my dad."

"Oh my God! Oh my God!" Dawn started shouting as she held her head, pulling down the sides of her white hat, as she began pacing back and forth. She soon started talking, but Charlie had a feeling she wasn't talking directly to her. "How's that possible? I mean I know_ how_ that's possible, but that would mean…Oh my God! He did _that_ when he that young? Eww! Eww! Eww! Wait. Why am I even _thinking_ about that? What's wrong with you Dawn?"

"Are you okay?" Charlie asked Dawn. This, by far, had been the strangest reaction Charlie had experienced to someone finding out she was Ash's daughter. "It's okay if you're freaked out. Nobody knew about me until I met them and told them."

"Dawn? Are you in here?" Brock asked as he stepped into the room.

When he spotted Dawn, he stopped and stiffened in fear. The look in her eyes was one that he had learned meant that he should start running as far away as he could right now. She looked like she was about to kill him or explode into a fit of rage on the spot. What had he done?

"She knows," was all Charlie needed to say for Brock to understand why Dawn had suddenly turned so angry. Walking up to Dawn, Charlie handed her the letter addressed to Dee Dee that she had pulled out of her bag. "Before you kill him, you might want to take this."

"Good luck!" Brock yelled as he ran out the door, Dawn close behind.

After she watched them run through the door, their shouts echoing through the hallway, Charlie turned back around to face Pikachu.

"I thought my dad said Misty was the one with the anger problems? Hmm. Maybe it's actually Dawn. "

"Pi," Pikachu shrugged. He was just glad he wasn't the one on the receiving end of Dawn's anger.

OOOO

"Times up folks!" The announcer yelled as the clock hit zero. "The winner of the Saffron Pokemon Contest is Maggie Myers!"

"I lost," Charlie murmured barely above a whisper. While Pikachu had battled his hardest, Maggie's attacks had been more appealing, knocking off Charlie's points a lot faster than her own. Turning toward its trainer, Pikachu drooped his ears as if to apologize for having lost the match. Returning the apologetic look with one of her own, Charlie scooped Pikachu up into her arms and gave it a light hug. "You were great out there Pikachu. I'm proud of you."

"Good work, Charlotte," Charlie heard Maggie tell her. Looking up, Charlie saw that Maggie was standing in front of her with her hand extended. Returning the gesture, Charlie weakly shook Maggie's hand. "Ruby would be proud of you. You've got real potential."

"Ruby?" Charlie asked, a bit more alert. She didn't know anybody named Ruby, so why was Maggie telling her that some girl named Ruby would be proud of her? "Who's that?"

"You'll find out soon enough," Maggie replied.

Turning around, she walked away, leaving Charlie on the field with Pikachu.

Back stage Dawn and Brock were waiting for Charlie so they could be there for her in case she had taken the loss pretty hard. To their surprise, though, she didn't seem too upset, instead saying how she'd beat Maggie one day.

"He'd be really proud of you, Charlie," Brock told her. Dawn, who was standing next to him, nodded in agreement. "You may have lost, but you lost against a Champion. That's pretty good for a first time."

"I know," she softly replied. "But that's in the past now. Next we have to go win our Marsh Badge, right Pikachu?"

"Pika!" Pikachu cheered.

Brock just laughed and Dawn smiled, both of them thinking the same thing. They had both once seen the same enthusiasm in a certain raven-haired trainer, so it only made sense that his daughter would gain that same enthusiasm. Similar to how Dawn had mentioned Maggie before; to Brock, it was if Ash was right in front of him, but in the female form. And as for the Pikachu sitting by her side with a big smile and determination on his face, Brock had never seen him so happy since Ash had died. It was as if Charlie had relit the flame that once burned brightly in Pikachu. Win or lose, that, he concluded, was the best thing he could have hoped for Pikachu.

"Alright, who wants lunch?" Brock called.

"Me!" Charlie raised her hand. "I'm starving."

"Dawn?" Brock called her name when he noticed she hadn't said anything.

"You guys run ahead. I'm going to stay here for a few seconds. There's something I need to do," she informed them.

"Okay. We'll be at the center if you need anything."

Once Charlie, Brock and Pikachu had left, Dawn sat down on the bench and pulled out the envelope Charlie had given her. Opening it up with her finger, she pulled out the piece of paper, unfolded it, and began reading. Before she opened it, she had a pretty good guess as to who the envelope was from, but it was still strange fro her to be hearing from him.

_Dawn, _

_It's been a while, hasn't it? I know I probably didn't exactly start off our reunion well by calling you Dee Dee. I needed a secret name that would allow Charlie to find you without actually saying Dawn, and that was the only one I could think of. So, please forgive me, and I promise to let Charlie know that she should call you Dawn. If she hasn't already told you, Charlie is my daughter. I know, a bit surprising, huh? I was quite surprised myself when I found out about her, too. She was a year old when I found out, and I knew that I had to take care of her before it was too late. So, that's why I went MIA for four years. Brock might have called you to see if I was there. Well, I wasn't. I went to Viridian City where she was, and that's where I've been living. _

_I don't know why I'm telling you all this. I guess maybe, since I let you down when I promised we'd keep in touch. I know we talked a lot, but we only got to meet up a few times before I disappeared, so I felt that I should at least update you on what I've been doing. I want you to know, though, that even if our visits were infrequent and sparse, I still kept tabs on you. When I had time, I would always watch your contest battles on T.V., even getting Charlie to watch a few with me. I could be wrong, but I don't think we missed a single one until you stopped. Since you stopped when Charlie was pretty young, though, she probably won't recognize you. We always rooted for you, though. Although, I have to ask: Why did you stop? You were at the top of your game and you suddenly quit? I think I might know. Was it my fault? Was it because of my actions that you used confidence in yourself? If it is, I want to apologize. I know it was wrong for me to leave you guys in the dark for as long as I did, but I'm more sorry that I caused you to lose confidence in your abilities as a coordinator. Your confidence was just one of the many reasons I wanted Charlie to meet you.  
><em>

_Other than the obvious reason of you being a traveling companion of mine all those years ago, she reminds me a lot of you when we traveled together. You're both upbeat, determined, confident, lovers of fashion, and you both always made me worry when you told me not to. Also, I don't know if Charlie ever thought about doing contests, but I have a feeling that it might be something she would want to try at least once. I've always trained in her battling, so she doesn't know anything about how to be in a contest. That's where you and May come in. I'm confident you two can work together to teach her how to kick some butt and win a few ribbons. _

_Finally, I wish you the best of luck in everything you do, and I want to take this time to finally thank you for cheering me on during all my battles. I can officially say now that I've never had someone who's cheered for me like you did. I enjoyed our adventures together and if it wasn't for you, I may have never seen Pikachu again. So, thanks for that, too. Take care of Charlie for me, and I really hope you consider entering contests again. I quit training and I regretted it everyday. And then before I knew it, it was too late. So, don't be like me Dawn. You're too good to quit. _

_Love, _

_Ash. _

_P.S. Enclosed with this letter is a separate envelope that, if you happen to run into him, I would like you to give to Paul. _

She had never meant to quit being a coordinator on purpose. It had been something that just gradually happened, starting when Ash had quit training himself. She had always justified what she was doing by telling herself that, how could she not want to quit when the one person who had told her never to give up had given up himself. And it wasn't just anyone either. It was Ash who was always determined to get that next badge or win that next league. So, to her, it had been more effective. So, before she knew it, she was entering less contests and her confidence was draining, until she was no longer participating at all. After that, she had put all her time and energy into design and helping people in her mom's coordinating class. After a long leave of absence, she had eventually returned it contest, but it had barely been a year since she had participated in once. But when she had, she realized just how much she had missed it. And, when Charlie had showed up and she had helped her in her first contest, she felt the rush and excitement she realized she had also missed. It was even more ironic, knowing that Charlie was Ash's daughter, and while her dad had played a key role in her quitting contests, Charlie had played a key role in really getting her back into it.

As for Ash's last request, though, she was left a little unsure. Sure enough, just like he had said, Dawn found an envelope with Paul's name on it in the envelope she had been given. She was really tempted to read it, having known the relationship the two had shared, but she morally feel wrong if she did that. She hadn't seen Paul since she stopped traveling with Ash so, how was she supposed to find him?

"Well, looks like I'm going to Veilstone City when I get back," she sighed as she folded up the letter.

OOOO

After the contest, Charlie returned to the center where she enjoyed a huge meal cooked by Brock that even included some of her dad's favorites. And, while she dug into some Lazy Boy No Chew Stew and chocolate cake, Brock and Dawn shared stories with her about their adventures with her dad in Sinnoh. Dawn told her about all the contest her dad had entered and how he and Pikachu had even entered a fashion contest called the Hearthome Contest. They told her about the time her dad had fought against Team Galactica alongside the Sinnoh Champion, Cynthia, and about all the different Pokemon they had helped out along the way. Finally, they told her about her father's rival, Paul. According to Dawn, Ash and Paul never got along because they had different training methods that caused them to clash. Her dad had lost to Paul in battles on several occasions, but in the Lily of the Valley Conference, he had finally beaten Paul and gained some respect from his rival.

After enjoying a nice lunch with Brock and Dawn, Charlie suddenly remembered she still had a letter to read from her dad about who Dawn was. So, when she returned to her room, she grabbed the letter out of her backpack, ripped it open and began reading.

_Charlie, _

_See? I told you there was no need to worry. So what do you think? Peppy? Full of energy? I used to think that her blood was made of caffeine. Nevertheless, she's a great person who's got a lot of confidence and a heck of an, "I can do" attitude. Let me first start by setting the record straight. Her name is Dawn, and she hates being called Dee Dee. _

_I first started traveling with Dawn when she asked if she could tag along with us, making her the first girl I traveled with who actually asked. When I had gotten to Sinnoh, I had lost Pikachu after a series of unfortunate events, but, thanks to her, Pikachu was safely returned to me, and I owe her for that. I have to ask you, though. Did she get all dressed up and cheer for you in your battle? You don't realize it until it actually happens, but it's kind of cool to have someone in the stands cheering for you as energetically as she did for me. Just like you, she's big into fashion, and she's even designed clothes for both Pokemon and people. So, if you ever ask, I'm sure she would be more than happy to design something for you or for one of your Pokemon. In addition to that, just like May, she's an excellent coordinator and even beat May herself in the Wallace Cup. So, if you ever decide to enter a contest, those two are there to help you out. _

_Before I end this letter, there's something I want you to do for me. You know that Buizel I left for you? Well, Dawn was actually the one who originally caught it many years ago, but because Buizel enjoyed battling more than being in contests, I traded her my Aipom for it. What I would like you to do for me, is, before you leave, give Buizel back to Dawn. When you leave, take out the next card and head to the next place. You're almost there, Charlie. _

_Love, _

_Your Father_

Later that evening, Charlie went to the Saffron Gym to try and win her Marsh Badge in her toughest match yet. To her surprise, Dawn and her Piplup and Buneary, had dressed up in cheerleading outfits with pompoms, and were ready to cheer her onto victory. Even Pikachu had gotten in on the action, bringing out fans with Pokeballs from somewhere Charlie couldn't figure out. Despite the cheering and support she was getting from her dad's friends, she still couldn't shake off what Brock had told her on the way here.

Before they had gotten there, Brock had kidded with Charlie about how she had better not lose if she didn't want to become a doll and be stuck in a doll house for the rest of her life. "That would be a rather tragic ending to such a great life," he had kidded. Charlie, however, had thought he was serious. "If this had been twenty years ago, then, yes, I would have been serious."

This comment then led him to then go and tell her about how her dad had gotten him, Misty and Brock turned into dolls and how they had almost gotten squished by a bouncy ball. It would be an understatement to say that Charlie wasn't the least bit freaked out. The more she thought about it, the more she determined that this was one experience her and her dad didn't need to share. So, when she started her match, she was a bit rough do to her nerves. In the end though, it was this fear that gave her the determination to win and defeat Sabrina. And boy was she relived to be in one piece and human.

OOOO

The next morning with the Marsh Badge now added to her collection, Charlie was ready to head out to the next town and her next adventure. Before she left, though, there was something she still needed to do. So, as she stood in front of Dawn and Brock at the outskirts of town, she pulled out a Pokeball.

"My dad wanted me to give this to you," she told Dawn, handing over the Pokeball. "It's the Buizel he said you caught a long time ago."

"Are you sure?" Dawn was a bit hesitant about taking back Buizel, knowing that he and Charlie had probably bonded during her journey. "I mean I understand, but are you sure _you _want to hand him over to me?"

"No need to worry," Charlie replied, giving Dawn a small smile. "So long as he'll be happy, I'll be happy, too."

"Well, alright." Dawn took Buizel's Pokeball and placed it in her bag. Before she closed it, though, she pulled out something and wrapped her hand around it, blocking Charlie's view. "But before you go, take this. It's the first ribbon my mom ever won and she gave it to me for good luck. I think I've gotten everything I can out of it, so I want to give it to you."

Dawn unfolded her hand to reveal a tiny, red ribbon. Picking it up, Charlie took it from Dawn and placed it back into her bag. She knew she could use a little luck every now and then.

"Thanks for everything, Dawn," she thanked the blue-haired coordinator. "If it wasn't for your help, I probably wouldn't have gotten very far in the contest. Oh, and thanks for the cheering squad. It really helped."

"No problem," Dawn assured her with a big smile. "If you ever enter a contest again, just let me know and I'll be more than happy to help you out again. And if you ever need another outfit, just let me know. You're dad helped me out a lot, so it's only fair that I help you, too."

"Thank you. Well, I've got to go. It was really nice meeting you. It was nice seeing you again, Brock. Thanks for everything."

"Bye Charlie," Brock replied. It was great getting to see Charlie again, but he had a feeling it would be a while before he got the chance to see her after this. But just like Ash had asked him, he made sure to take good care of the girl by giving her almost three weeks worth of homemade meals until she made it to the next town. "Be safe."

As Charlie was about to leave, she noticed Dawn walk up to her and stick her hand in the air. "It's something your dad and I always did," she replied, giving Charlie a warm smile. Returning the smile, Charlie raised her hand into the air and met Dawn's half way as they high-fived.

_7. Fuchsia City_

_In this city, you'll have the chance to learn a little bit about the way of the ninja. More importantly, though, here you'll find a trainer that's been raised in the Dragon Village, and who likes to live a bit more on the wilder side of life. A total cowered when it comes to Ice Pokemon, they carry their prized Pokemon in their hair. Find them and give them the letter labeled, Dragon Master. And no matter what they may tell you, they're still just a kid.  
><em>


	9. The Dragon Master

_What a day, what a day to take to_  
><em> What a way, what a way to make it through<em>  
><em> What a day, what a day to take to a wild child<em>

The sky was a bright blue, and Charlie let the cool autumn breeze blow around her as she made her way through the forest. According to her map, she was near an area called the Safari Zone that was only a few miles away from the city. Pikachu was sitting on her shoulder also enjoying the nice weather as he munched on an apple. The more Charlie thought about it, though, the forest seemed too quiet for a day as nice as this. She had spoken too soon, however, when suddenly in front of her she witnessed a huge explosion, the smoke rising above the forest trees. Despite her better judgment, she began racing toward the clouds, curious about what was going on. She needed to be there in case someone needed help.

As she neared the site of the explosion, she saw a large group of people dressed in black uniforms surrounding the entrance to a giant building. Hiding behind a tree in order not to be seen, Charlie tried to come up with a plan as she watched the people start to gather up some wild Pokemon with a net.

_They're stealing the Pokemon!_ Her mind shouted at her. As she observed them more closely, she spotted a giant, red R on many of the uniforms. _It's Team Rocket!_

Team Rocket was something that always struck a nerve in Charlie. The mere mention of the criminal organization was something that could make her go from calm to furious in a matter of seconds. She hated Team Rocket; despised them. They had ruined her life by taking away the most important thing to her.

_I have to do something._ Gripping two Pokeballs, she enlarged them to use them to battle. Making sure to keep her voice quiet, Charlie gave Pikachu some quick instructions.

"When I tell you to, I want you to attack with a Thunderbolt, okay?"

"Pika," Pikachu replied, nodding his head.

Releasing her Bayleef and Charmeleon, Charlie prepared herself and her Pokemon for the ambush she was planning. She had heard the stories about how her dad had saved Pokemon countless times from the clutches of the criminal organization, and she wanted to make him proud. So, channeling what she thought her dad might have done, she charged ahead toward the group of rocket grunts.

"Pikachu, Bayleef, Charmeleon, go!" she shouted as her Pokemon attacked the rocket grunts, throwing them off guard. Some of them turned around to see what had caused the sudden commotion, and at the sight of Charlie and her Pokemon, many of them abandoned trying to catch the wild Pokemon to focus on her. "Let those Pokemon go!"

One of grunts, who appeared to be more of the leader, just laughed at her, amused by Charlie's attempt to stand up to Team Rocket. At the sight of the rocket, Charlie narrowed her eyes, instantly recognizing him. She didn't' know how she remembered who he was after all these years, but the instant she saw the smirk on his face, she felt her blood begin to boil. His name was Aero, and he was responsible for what she had lost those many years ago.

"What are you going to do now little pipsqueak?" he mocked her, while some of his fellow grunts stood next to him awaiting their orders. "You don't actually think you can fight us with that puny team of yours?"

"I'll beat you!" she shouted back at him, her confidence rising. "Pikachu, thunderbolt!"

At the command of Charlie, Pikachu unleashed one of his famous thunderbolts, knocking out a few of the grunts and their Pokemon. It wasn't enough, though, and it only managed to anger the remaining ones some more. With another smirk, the man laughed as he called on his Arbok and instructed the remaining grunts to do that same.

"Arbok, use poison sting," Aero instructed, his tone of voice indicating he could care less about this battle. In his eyes, Charlie was just a silly little kid who had gotten in his way.

At the same time, his fellow rocket grunts called up their various Raticates, Ekans, Koffings and Wheezings to attack Charlie and her Pokemon. Charlie knew she was clearly outnumbered, but she was confident in her Pokemon's power.

"Bayleef, vine whip! Charmeleon, fire spin! Pikachu, Iron Tail!"

Charlie's Pokemon bravely fought back against the Team Rocket Pokemon, but the battle slowly wore on them as they were outnumbered. Charlie would have used her other Pokemon, but they were still tired from various trainer battles earlier. As she watched Bayleef get taken out followed by Charmeleon, she felt weak and pathetic.

"Arbok, use bite," the man instructed.

Before Charlie could react and tell Pikachu what to do, the giant snake Pokemon hit the electric rodent with a critical attack, knocking him unconscious. Rushing over to Pikachu, Charlie scooped him up in her arms. Recalling her other Pokemon in order to protect them, she held Pikachu close.

"Now what are you going to do, pipsqueak?" he called out to her, his Arbok coiled up next to him. "You're all out of Pokemon and there's nobody here to help you."

"I'll beat you, you'll see," Charlie sneered through her teeth. She was going to defeat this man if it was the last thing she did. "I'm not finished yet."

"Salamence, use hyper beam!" a voice echoed through the forest.

When both Charlie and the rocket grunts looked to the source of the noise, a giant beam of light came shooting through the sky, aimed for the remaining grunts. The beam was super powerful, ripping through the nets and machines like they were tree branches. As Charlie gawked at the destruction before her, she suddenly felt the ground beneath her disappear before landing on something else.

When she refocused, she found herself sitting atop a giant dragon Pokemon high above the ground. In front of her was a woman with dark hair, who was commanding the dragon Pokemon to use another powerful attack.

"Axew!" Another Pokemon cried, popping out of the woman's hair. It waved at her before turning around to face the other direction.

The woman who had saved her, landed the massive dragon on the ground in front of Team Rocket in an attempt to intimidate them and strike fear into their hearts. It didn't take much before the majority of the Team Rocket grunts started to flee into the forest. Knowing that the odds were stacked against him, the Aero recalled his Arbok and shouted for this fellow members to abandon the plan and retreat. With one final smirk aimed at Charlie, he ran into the forest.

"We did it!" Charlie cheered, beyond thrilled to see the man running away in fear. Suddenly, though, she felt herself sliding down the dragon Pokemon's back, only to land rather roughly on the ground. "Oww."

When Charlie looked up, she saw the woman staring at her with a look of pure anger and irritation on her face. "You idiotic little kid!" she yelled at Charlie, her face turning bright red. "Are you stupid? What do you think you were doing trying to take on Team Rocket by yourself? God, you're such a kid! Do you realize if it wasn't for me, you'd probably be killed?"

"I…I…" Charlie stuttered, unable to form any coherent sentences.

"You what? You weren't thinking? I already knew that one, genius," she shouted some more. "You think just because you won a few badges you can beat Team Rocket? News flash, kid; you're not a hero. You're just a new trainer with a few badges."

"I'm sorry."

"Sorry? You shouldn't be apologizing for your idiotic actions to me," the woman told her. Although her anger had softened a bit, she was still very irritated with Charlie and her actions. "You should apologize to your poor Pokemon who you let get hurt because of your dumb pride. Now I have to take care of your Pokemon, too."

"Huh?"

The woman ignored her, instead pulling out a teapot looking device and a stack of herbs. Hopping off the dragon, she fell to the ground and put an herb masher in front of her. Using the little smashing device, she began to grind at the herbs to make them into little pieces. When she had finished, she added them to a liquid substance in the teapot.

"This should help cure any poison attacks," she explained. Crawling over to Charlie, she offered Pikachu a sip of the remedy she had concocted. After some assurances from Charlie that it would help him, Pikachu finally took some. "With a little rest, he should feel better in no time."

"Thank you," Charlie replied rather weakly. If it hadn't been for her actions, Pikachu would have never been in this position. She was truly lucky that the woman had come to her rescue. "Oh, um, I'm Charlie by the way."

The woman looked at her for a second, debating if she should tell the girl her name. After a few seconds, though, she sighed and gave in.  
>"I'm Iris." Standing back up, Iris cleaned up her materials and proceeded to put them away before hopping back onto her Salamence. "You stay away from Team Rocket, you hear me? Don't be an idiot again."<p>

Before Charlie could get in another word, Iris took off and began to fly away. After she had disappeared, Charlie began to take in her surrounding area only to discover that she was lost. When she had chased after the Team Rocket members, she had gotten herself off track. Slumping back onto the ground, she grumbled in anger. This day was not turning out like she had thought it would.

OOOO

After consulting her map numerous times, Charlie finally managed to get herself out of the woods and to Fuchsia City. After healing up her Pokemon, she had grabbed a bite to eat before heading to bed. If she planned to spend the next day trying to find her dad's friend, she would need to be rested up. When she had fallen asleep, though, she had nightmares of events that had happened years ago and that she had tried to forget.

"_Daddy!" she screamed as she tried to fight against the person who was holding her back. She was terrified, the tears now streaming down her face, and she wanted her dad like every time she would get scared before. "Let me go! I want my Daddy!" _

"_Charlie, it's okay," her dad tried to assure her in a soothing voice. He hated seeing her upset like this and wanted more than anything to be able to comfort her, but he knew this was the only way he could protect her. "These people are going to help you. They'll protect you for Daddy." _

_This didn't sooth her the least bit as she continued to scream and try to wriggle her way out. Before she knew it, she was being carried away and her dad got smaller and smaller. _

When Charlie shot up, her body shaking and sweat on her face, she felt her heart speed up. Looking around, she realized she was only in the Pokemon Center and that the whole thing had been a dream.

"Pi pi pi?" Pikachu asked, his voice filled with concern. He had watched his trainer toss and turn for the last few minutes and it had worried him. Walking over, he curled himself up into Charlie's lap and pressed himself as close to her as he could. "Cha."

"Thanks Pikachu." Wrapping her arms around him, Charlie cuddled the little mouse, seeking comfort in him like he was a blanket or a teddy bear. "I miss him, Pikachu."

"Pika," Pikachu nodded in agreement. Closing his eyes he started to doze off in the comfort of Charlie's arms. And, in no time, Charlie found her eyelids getting heavy as she too dozed off.

OOOO

The next morning, Charlie decided to spend the day wandering around time looking for her dad's friend. Where she needed to start or whom she needed to ask, she had no idea, but she hoped she would get lucky like previous times. In the end, if she wasn't able to find them by the end of the day, she could always cheat and look her dad's letter about the friend. As she waling through town, though, she heard another explosion coming from the woods.

She knew from her previous incident and the lecture she had received from Iris that she should stay where she was and not go anywhere near the explosion. But as she stood there and felt helpless, there was a nagging sensation that told her she couldn't just stand there and let something happen when she could potentially help. It took every fiber of her strength to try and walk away, but in the end her genetics won out and she could no longer stand there and let something bad happen. Plus, she knew what she did wrong last time so she would learn from her mistakes.

"Come on, Pikachu!" she called to Pokemon by her side as she took off down the street and toward the explosion.

Pikachu rolled his big black eyes as he took off after her. When he had became Charlie's Pokemon, he hadn't expected this to be like when he traveled with Ash where they had to check out every explosion and help out every person in need. Deep down, he had hoped traveling with Charlie would be a bit more relaxed. That wasn't the case, though, as it became very clear that his Pikapi had passed on his hero complex to his daughter.

Upon arriving on the scene, she saw the woman named Iris from earlier battling some of the Team Rocket grunts aboard her Salamence. Behind them was a giant machine that had already been used to capture a few Pokemon, having chased them to the edge of the cliff so they couldn't escape. When Iris spotted Charlie walking over to the battle out of the corner of her eye, she just about lost it.

"You again?" she sneered in pure anger. "Do you not learn?

Unfortunately, her shouting attracted the attention of many of the rocket grunts that suddenly took notice of Charlie's arrival.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the pipsqueak from earlier," the man from the other day teased. "You've got guts kid. I like that. You'd be a good Team Rocket member."

"Leave her alone! She's just a kid," Iris shouted in an attempt to protect Charlie from anything bad. "Pick on someone your own size."

"Very well then," Aero replied coolly. Although he seemed to be complying with what Iris had requested, his body language said otherwise. Pushing a button on a remote he was holding, he triggered a mechanical arm that shot out and snatched an unsuspecting Pikachu. Charlie tried her best to try and reach him in time, but that arm grabbed him and recoiled back before she could do anything. "Now what are you going to do, pipsqueak?"

"Hey! Why won't you listen to me?" Iris fumed from the air. She did not appreciate being ignored. "Leave her alone! It's me you want to battle, remember?"

"If you insist," Aero quipped. After that he commanded his team to do exactly that.

With Pikachu added to their collection, the rocket grunts took the time to release their Pokemon and begin attempting to battle Iris. As the battle raged in front of her with the grunts now distracted, Charlie tiptoed her way over to the machine and released her Bayleef. Instructing it to help her get onto the machine, she remained silent as Bayleef used its vines to place Charlie on top of the machine.

"Salamence, use dragon rage!" Iris commanded, now that she had the perfect opportunity to attack. What she had neglected to see, however, was Charlie on top of the machine she was prepared to attack.

The dragon rage attack sped down to the giant machine Team Rocket had been using with no chance of stopping it. At this point in time, many of them abandoned the machine, while Charlie finally broke Pikachu free of the mechanical arm using Bayleef's razor leaf. Before she could escape, thought, the powerful dragon move made impact with the machine, blowing it into pieces and sending the rocket grunts off into the sky.

Out of the corner of her eye, Iris saw Charlie and Pikachu flying through the air, headed straight for the rapids below. Iris quickly instructed her dragon Pokemon to fly toward them in attempt to catch them before they hit the water. Meanwhile, Charlie pushed herself to try and catch Pikachu who was only a few feet ahead of her. If they landed in the water, she wanted to make sure Pikachu was safe in her arms so that she would hit the water first.

"ASH!" Iris screamed as she saw Charlie and Pikachu crash into the water. No matter how hard she tried, she had noticed them too late and she was too far away to reach them in time.

Iris shouting her dad's name at her was the last thing Charlie remembered as her and Pikachu crashed into the water. After that she blacked out as the river carried them far away from Iris and any form of help.

OOOO

When Charlie opened her eyes, she found herself in a place she didn't recognize.

"You're awake," Iris sighed in relief. When the river had finally slowed down, Iris had found them washed up on the shore. Taking action immediately, she had rushed to Charlie's side and dragged her and Pikachu onto the shore. To her surprise, Pikachu remained unharmed; while Charlie had suffered some cuts and bruises. After that she had set up a campfire and made some food for when she had finally woken up. "That was quite a fall you had."

"You called me Ash," Charlie replied, recalling the last thing she heard before she blacked out. When she had heard it, it had confused her and she had wanted to know why.

Iris didn't know why she had called the girl Ash. When she had seen her and Pikachu, it had triggered memories in her mind of the numerous times her friend would go and risk his life to rescue his Pikachu or any other Pokemon. Just like with happened with Charlie, it would usually occur when they had been fighting off Team Rocket and he would go and do something without thinking. She would always yell at him, but he would ignore her, his mind set on one thing. While he would go flying through the air or get injured, her other traveling partner would spend that time yelling his name as they watched him risk his life once again. So, when Charlie had dove after Pikachu, she saw flashes of Ash doing the same thing, causing her brain to go into the old routine.

"It doesn't matter. It was just a mistake," Iris replied, brushing off the question. She really didn't want to have to get into details. "You just reminded me of a friend of mine."

"Ash Ketchum, right?" Charlie asked, even though she knew the answer. She just wanted to see Iris's reaction when she said the name. While she waited, Charlie started digging through her backpack in search of the envelope she needed to give to Iris. "This is for you. I was supposed to find you here and give this to you."

In handwriting Iris hadn't seen in years was written, Dragon Master across the middle of the envelope. She didn't know what to expect of this envelope, or what could be inside it. She was more concerned about who this girl was and how she knew who Ash was.

_Iris, _

_How are you? Are you a bit surprised? The boy you called a kid all during our travels went and had a kid of his own. Kind of ironic, huh? I can only imagine what you might be thinking right now or what your reaction is right now. I have to ask, though. How many times have you called her a kid? I bet it's a lot. How are Axew and your other Pokemon doing? It's been a long time since I seen you, and I'm afraid that we may not see each other after this. The girl who gave you this letter is not just any kid as you might have discovered. She's my daughter and her name is Charlotte, but I like to call her Charlie. She's a energetic, free spirited ten year old girl, who loves Pokemon just as much as you and I._

_I wanted her to meet you not only because you're one of my good friends and traveling partners, but because I know that you'll be able to help her out. Other than the obvious fact that if she ever goes to Unova you can help her, I know that you'll be there to help her get out of any troubling situations she has gone and gotten herself into. And while I've made sure that she isn't afraid of bugs and the outdoors, it won't hurt if you teach her how to live more on the wild side of life._

_ I'm sorry that I never did a good job of keeping in touch with you. After we separated, I meant for us to meet up once again, but, as you know, that never happened. I got caught up in things and then I began traveling again. Before I knew it, years had gone by. After that, I found out about Charlie and I ran away from my friends and family because I was scared. From then on, with the exception of one, I never called any of them or told them what happened. Just like you, everyone is just now finding out about Charlie and who she is. _

_Although we may have never seen each other, I want you to know, that we always made sure to watch any battles you were in and we even saw the ceremony when you were officially recognized as the Dragon Master of Unova. I wish you the best of luck in your battles and in your life. Take care of Charlie for me. _

_Love, _

_Ash _

"This explains everything," were the words Iris uttered after she finished reading the letter.

"Explains what?"

"Why you're an idiotic, life risking, never thinking before you act, stubborn trainer," Iris listed off. Charlie was pretty sure Iris was insulting her character. "You're Ash Ketchum's daughter."

"That's me!" Charlie beamed, completely oblivious to the implications behind that.

"Right…" Iris just stared at the girl, not sure how approach her. What did she say to her friend's daughter who she had known nothing about prior to this? While she wanted to yell at her for being a complete idiot and ignoring her when she told her to stay away from Team Rocket, she knew that would be pointless considering the girl displayed the same hero complex as Ash. "So is this Pikachu his?"

"Yeah," Charlie replied. "My dad's friend Misty gave him to me."

Misty. Iris had heard that name a few times when she had traveled with Ash and had even met the girl once when she and Cilan attended Ash's funeral back in Pallet Town. According to Ash's other friend Brock, Misty was one of Ash's good friends who he had traveled with when he first started out on his journey. When Ash had died, Brock had told her, he gave Pikachu to Misty.

"So you were supposed to find me?" Iris asked, remembering Charlie mentioning why she was giving Iris the letter. When Charlie nodded in confirmation, Iris thought it over a bit. "Hmm. I bet you're supposed to go find my husband next."

"I don't know yet," Charlie told her. "My dad wrote clues on a note card about each person to help me find them. He never mentions their names, though; only a few things about their personality and a nickname."

"Ooo, what did your dad say about me?" Iris gushed, suddenly interested in Charlie's little scavenger hunt.

Charlie was thrown off guard a bit, as up until now, nobody had ever asked her what her dad said about them in the clues or even the letter that explained who each person was to her. While the question was different, she didn't see any problem in telling Iris what the riddle had said.

"Well, he said that you were raised in the Dragon Village and that you like to live on the wild side of life. That you are a total cowered when it comes to Ice Pokemon, and that you carry our pokemon in your hair. For your nickname, he labeled you as the Dragon Master like it said on the envelope, and he told me that no matter what you told me, you're still just a kid."

"I'm not a kid!" Iris retorted, the only thing sticking with her being the last line. Ash had always been the kid in her mind, not her. She was the one who always knew what she was doing, was able to get herself out of trouble and had a maturity that outweighed Ash's by a landslide. "You're dad was the one who always got us in trouble."

"So I've been told."

"Well it was true," Iris shrugged. If you asked anyone Ash had traveled with, they would tell you that the majority of the time, he was the one that would cause them to be placed in near death experiences. "So, I have to ask. Who's your mom? Is it one of the people he traveled with?"

At this, Charlie frowned a bit, averting her eyes to the ground. "I don't know who my mom is. She left when I was three."

"Oh." Iris kind of regretted asking the question. If she had known it was a touchy subject, she would have never asked. On the other hand, though, this discovery made her and Charlie that more similar. "I never knew who my parents were. They died when I was very young and I was left to be raised in the Dragon Village."

"Really?"

"Yeah," she softly replied. "But even though I didn't have my biological parents to raise me, I was happy being raised in the Dragon Village by a group of people I knew cared about me and were there to help me out."

As Iris said this, another thought passed her mind.

"It's kind of funny," Iris remarked, although Charlie didn't see what was so funny. "Your dad was actually smart for once. Even though he's not here and your mom isn't around, he led you to all these people who I know will love you and take care of you like your own dragon village. We may not be your biological parents, but you're dad always picked good friends and I know we'll be able to serve that task well."

Out of all the people she had met so far, nobody had put her life quite like that. It was as if Iris had answered Charlie's question of why her dad had even sent on this scavenger hunt in the first place. He had somehow known that something bad was going to happen to him, and he had created this whole thing so that Charlie would find people who he knew would take care of her. Even the Pokemon like Pikachu were meant to help her out and protect her when her dad couldn't.

OOOO

The next day, Charlie and Iris finally made their way out of the woods, now headed for the Fuchsia City gym so that Charlie could get her Soul Badge. Throughout the night, Iris had kept watched over Charlie, making sure she didn't show any signs of injury that hadn't shown up right away. In order to keep Charlie awake long enough to clear her of any problem, Iris spent the time telling her stories she remembered from her travels with Ash in Unova. She told Charlie about when she had first met Ash and how he had tried to catch her because he mistakenly took her for a Pokemon. She laughed about how she recalled Ash being completely dense when it came to the matters of love and how he would pile through food like there was no tomorrow. She even asked Charlie how some of his Pokemon were doing, only to discover that currently, Charlie didn't have any of Ash's Unova Pokemon, and that the majority of them were with Brock.

Through talking with Iris, Charlie learned that the reason she had been here of all places was that she had been asked be Professor Oak to investigate Team Rocket's sudden activity in the Safari Zone since he thought it might have something to do with that Dratini that supposedly lived there. She also learned that Iris had gone on to marry the traveling companion that had joined her and Ash on their journey through Unova. When Charlie had asked his name, Iris had refused to answer, telling Charlie that she had to use her dad's clues to find out and that only kids would try to cheat. Before she had fallen asleep, she had pulled out the letter about Iris and quickly read over the words.

_Charlie, _

_How many times did she call you a kid? I bet it was a lot. She always used to think that she was better than me even though I probably had a lot more experience with traveling than her. (Don't tell her I said that.) As a warning, she'll probably be one of the hardest people to get through to, and she may randomly disappear on you only to reappear later. She's very secretive about her life, but aside from that, she's a very kind person and she isn't all talk. She actually knows what she's talking about when it comes to training and Pokemon battles. So, I definitely think you should take her advice about whatever it might be. _

_I forgot to mention this in the clue, but if you happen to need her assistance in this, she's very knowledgeable about herbs and remedies to cure Pokemon from basic illnesses. In addition to that, she loves to travel by swinging on vines and will even go as far to battle a Pokemon herself. In a way, she reminds me a lot of Misty with her determination, love of knocking me down a few pegs, and pride fullness. She will be a great help to you if you ever travel to Unova, and she'll be able to help you out if you ever feel lonely. I know that may seem weird, but if you just talk to her, you'll discover that you two have a lot more in common than you may think. _

_Love, _

_Your Father_

After her battle, which she had won despite Iris telling her that she had only gotten lucky, Charlie actually felt sadden that she would have to say goodbye to Iris. Even though they had gotten off to a very rough start, she had grown to look up to the dragon trainer and had actually started trying to listen to her more.

"Will you come watch me in my battles at the Indigo League?" Charlie requested of Iris. She had a feeling that, like her dad had said, she would definitely need Iris's advice about battling. Plus, if she were there in addition to Max, Charlie would be unstoppable. Or, at least, she fantasized she would be. "Pleeeeassseee."

"What makes you so sure you're going to battle in the Indigo League," Iris teased. She was going to try and be nicer, but it was too hard trying to resist teasing Ash's daughter. It just reminded her too much of him and everything she missed about their travels. When Charlie pouted back, Iris laughed before deciding she should give the girl some slack. "I'm just kidding. I'll come so long as it'll be worth my time to watch. I don't want to come just to see you get knocked out the first round."

"I won't lose," Charlie shot back, determination in her voice. "I'll train hard and go far. You'll see."

"Alright. If you say so." Iris stood there for a few seconds, debating what she should do next. Glancing at the sun, she saw that it was almost the late afternoon and that if she wanted to inform Professor Oak on her findings, she had to get back fast. "Well, I have to go. It was nice meeting you Charlie."

"Thank you for your help Iris," Charlie thanked the dragon trainer. "And I'm sorry for all the trouble I caused you."

"If I had only been lucky enough to hear those words form your dad," Iris replied shaking her head. Turning around, she gave one final wave before turning back down the road she had came that would take her back to the center. "Bye Charlie!"

_8. Cinnabar Island_

_It's riddle time, the next person might tell you. Don't be surprised if they pull out their magnifying glass and cap when you request their help in solving the riddles of the Cinnabar Gym. So when you arrive, add a little of your own zest and watch as the famous Pokemon Connoisseur-hint, hint-tries to explain anything and everything with science and an encyclopedia of cooking adjective. _


	10. The Connoisseur

_WAKU WAKU shitaiyo  
><em>

_(I want to be excited)_  
><em>Bokura no yume wa keshite nemuranai <em>

_(Our dreams won't sleep) _  
><em>Atarashii machi de tokimeku nakama<em>

_(In a new town)_  
><em>Sagashite ikundayo<em>

_(We'll search for exciting friends)_

When Charlie arrived on Cinnabar Island, the place looked like nothing other than a giant tourist resort with the numerous hotels and souvenir stands scattered along the road. If there was supposed to be a gym here, there were no signs of it anywhere. Charlie figured she would just have to wait until she got to the center to ask Nurse Joy where she could find the gym. Upon her arrival, however, the place was jammed pack with people, many of them she wondered if they even had a Pokemon or any intentions of battling gyms. Making her way to the front desk, she rang the little bell to call on the nurse that was working there.

"Welcome to the Pokemon Center. How may I help you?" Nurse Joy greeted her in the peppy and happy voice Charlie had learned to associate with all Nurse Joys.

"Um, I was wondering if you could tell me where the Pokemon gym is?" Charlie asked.

Nurse Joy gave her a funny look as if Charlie had two heads. "A gym?" she repeated, making sure she had heard the girl correctly. "I'm afraid there hasn't been a gym on this island for many years. It was destroyed during a battle."

"What?" Charlie blinked in confusion. There was no gym?

"If you would like to get another badge, I would suggest you head for Viridian City or Ivory City," Nurse Joy informed her. "But if you would like, I can take your Pokemon."

"Okay," Charlie sighed as she handed over her Pokeballs. While traveling from Fuchsia City, she had managed to catch two new Pokemon-A Psyduck and an Oddish-so she figured now would probably be the best time to heal them. "Thank you."

_Why would my dad send me here if he knew there was no gym?_ Charlie wondered as she waited for her Pokemon to be healed. It just didn't make sense. He had clearly stated in his clue that there was a gym, so why wouldn't there be? After her Pokemon were all healed up, she decided to go wander around the city to see if she could find out any information about the gym. As she went to exit the center, she spotted a sign out of the corner of her eye that had a word that spiked her interest.

**Are You And Your Pokemon Compatible?**

**Ask A Connoisseur!**

**1PM-3PM Near The Cinnabar Science Museum**

Glancing at the clock in the center, Charlie noticed that it was already 2:30. If there was a chance that the person she was supposed to meet was there, then she had to make it before they closed. Thankfully, on her way to the center, she had passed the museum, so she knew exactly where to find it.

"Come on Pikachu!" she called to the Pokemon sitting on her shoulder.

As Charlie ran out of the center in a hurry to reach the museum on time, poor Pikachu was forced to hold on for his life. Over the years, he had gotten used to balancing on Ash's shoulder and head, but being with Charlie was something he was still getting used to. While, he had learned how to stay on without using his paws when she walked, he had yet to master her bumpy and uncoordinated running.

Upon reaching the museum, Charlie groaned when she saw the giant line that had formed. To make it even worse, from what she could see in the back of the line, there was only two connoisseurs and about twenty people in front of her. She really hoped they were kind enough to take everyone so long as they were in line before 3.

"Can you see anything, Pikachu?" In order to try and get a better view and judge of how long they might have to wait, Charlie had instructed Pikachu to survey the scene from her head since she was too short to see over the people in front of her. Despite their efforts, even with Pikachu atop her head, Charlie was still too short for him to be able to see anything. So, when he gave her a negative reply, she became frustrated. "This would be a lot easier if my dad hadn't been so short as a kid."

"Pika!" Pikachu yelled at her in a mocking tone, wagging his little finger at her. "Pikachu! Pika! Pika!"

Like his previous trainer, Charlie tended to complain about being too short. This would always tick Pikachu off because he didn't feel they had a right to complain about being too short when compared to him, they were giants. Whenever Ash would complain about his height, Pikachu would call him a whinny brat, knowing that he couldn't understand him. Through the years, he had slowly forgotten how much of a whinny brat Ash was when he was a kid, but Charlie quickly brought those memories back.

"What did you just say to me?" Charlie shouted back, even though she had no idea what Pikachu had said. "Speak English!"

"Chu!" Pikachu countered, sticking his tongue out at Charlie.

Even though he couldn't speak the human language Charlie used, he could at least understand it. He knew Charlie couldn't say the same thing, having no clue what any of the words he said meant.

"Fine," she huffed, folding her arms and turning away from Pikachu. She was not in the mood to deal with Pikachu and his attitude.

"Next!" a voice yelled after what felt like years to Charlie. After Pikachu's little tantrum, she had to wait in line with him for another twenty minutes.

"Welcome! My name's Cilan and I'm one of today's connoisseurs. How may I-whoa" Mid speech Cilan was cut off when Pikachu, instantly recognizing him from their travels together, leaped onto his shoulder and started to affectionately rub his check. "Well hello there. Aren't you friendly?"

"Pikachu," Charlie groaned as she covered her face with her hand in embarrassment. Ever since she had gotten Pikachu he would run off or ambush an unsuspecting pedestrian and demand attention. Thankfully, it had been the people she was supposed to find, but it was still embarrassing. "I'm so sorry."

"It's quite alright," Cilan assured her. Grabbing Pikachu off his shoulder, he placed him on the table so that he could perform his evaluation. "Now let's see. Yellow fur like a bright sunny day, red cheeks like a burning fire, and a lightening bolt shaped tail for a sparky personality. This Pikachu is well suited for a sweet yet determined trainer such as yourself."

At Cilan's conclusion, Charlie's eyes lit up. "You hear that, Pikachu? We're perfect for each other!"

"Chu," Pikachu sighed. It was great that they were suitable for each other, but if Charlie got too cocky, Pikachu wasn't past reverting his demeanor to the first day when he met Ash.

Cilan just laughed as his green eyes sparkled a bit. "You two are like peanut butter and jelly," he commented. "But I can tell you that your relationship is as new as budding flower."

"But we've been traveling for four months…" Charlie paused to quickly glance at Pikachu. "...Right Pikachu?"

"Pika," Pikachu shrugged. He didn't know how long it had been. Pikachu didn't really tell time by days or years. If Charlie had told him it had been ten days, he'd believe that, too.

Sticking up his finger as if he was telling Charlie to hold on, Cilan closed his eyes. "While that is a long time, it can take years for a budding friendship to blossom into a beautiful flower." Lightly patting Pikachu on the head, he returned his hand back to its resting spot on the desk. "Plus, Pikachu can be rather hard to train. They are very stubborn."

"I could have told you that," Charlie scoffed, rolling her eyes a bit. While she enjoyed Pikachu's company, he could be quite the stubborn Pokemon when he wanted to be. And having electrical powers didn't help either. "In fact, all the Pokemon that I have that once belonged to my dad, are like that. When they aren't in a battle, Bayleef runs away and ignores me; Totodile never stops dancing-I think it has ADD- and Pikachu refuses to walk anywhere. My Pokemon are the only ones who will listen to me outside of battle."

"Oh dear. That's quite a recipe for disaster," Cilan commented. "Well, part of your problem is that these Pokemon belonged to your father first. If treated well, Pokemon will get attached to their trainers, and if they are suddenly switched to a new one, it'll take some time for them to trust the new trainer."

"But they listen to me in battle," Charlie pointed out. If they didn't trust her, wouldn't they ignore her in battle, too?

"Right. But Pokemon can listen to anyone in a battle if they feel you are leading them to a victory. But, outside of battle is where it counts. The reason they aren't listening to you is because you don't treat them the same way your father did. I'm not saying you treat them badly, just different. Have you tried asking your dad for help?"

"I can't," Charlie softly replied, looking down on the ground. "My dad's not alive. He didn't even give me these Pokemon himself. His friends gave them to me."

"I'm terribly sorry to hear that," Cilan frowned. He knew what it was like to lose someone close, but he didn't know what it was like to lose a family member. "Loss is quite the brussels sprout on the plate of life. I do hope you're able to work things out, though."

"Thanks."

Glancing back behind her, Charlie noticed that the line of people had dwindled significantly while she was talking to Cilan. Then again, she had been pretty much in the back of the line when she had started.

"Is there anything else I can help you with?" Cilan asked after a small silence fell between the two.

Turning back around to face the connoisseur, Charlie nodded her head. In the clue for Cinnabar, her dad had mentioned that his friend was a connoisseur, so Charlie figured if Cilan was one too, there was a good chance he would know her dad's friend.

"Can you help me find someone?" she asked him.

"Find someone?" Cilan repeated, making sure he had heard correctly. When Charlie nodded in confirmation, his green eyes lit up with excitement. "I would love to! I simply love a good mystery."

"Really? Wow. Thanks!"

"You're very welcome. If you wait here, I'll be finishing up in about five minutes," Cilan explained, pointing his finger to an empty space by the museum.

While Charlie headed over to the spot Cilan instructed her to wait, Pikachu tried his best to contain his laughter. He was amazed sometimes how oblivious humans could be. He knew that the person Charlie was looking for was the exact person that she had asked help in finding said person, but she had totally missed it. He was shocked that even Cilan had not picked up on it either, but as he had concluded, that was a human for you. He could only imagine the shock that both would experience when they discovered that they were just going in circles.

When Cilan was finished up, he grabbed his knapsack and headed over to where Charlie was waiting.

"Now, where should we start?" he asked, quickly jumping in.

Pulling the note card out of her pocket, Charlie handed it over to Cilan to read. "My dad gave me this as a clue to who I'm supposed to be looking for. This is the only information I have," she explained. At the last second, however, she quickly remembered what Iris had told her. "Oh, and I guess he's the husband of one of my dad's other traveling companion-her name is Iris. They all traveled together in Unova."

With the knowledge of the clues Charlie had been given to find the man, Cilan widened his eyes in shock. At the same time, however, he was disappointed that they mystery had been solved so quickly.

"I have a letter here that explains more about her if that might help," Charlie offered, slinging her backpack over her shoulder so she could grab the letter about Iris.

"No, no, no!" Cilan quickly replied, surprising Charlie a bit. Seeing as he had unnerved Charlie a bit, he quickly changed the tone of his voice. "That won't be necessary, Charlie."

"Oh. Okay."

At this point, Pikachu started cracking up, unable to hold in his laughter anymore.

"If I presume correctly, I am the connoisseur you are supposed to find. My wife's name is Iris and I live in Unova," he beamed as Charlie's widened in shock. _It was him the whole time?_ She couldn't believe how badly she had missed this. As she watched Cilan's face, it quickly morphed into one of confusion. "While this is all true, the only ingredient that doesn't fit in this is that I never traveled with anyone but my wife and a young man, who I never knew to have a family of his own."

"Well, my full name is Charlotte Ketchum and my dad Ash traveled with you and your wife Iris all through Unova. Nobody knew about me until now," she quickly clarified; positive that this was who she was supposed to find. "I've been traveling around Kanto and meeting up with my dad's friends."

"Is this Ash's Pikachu then?" Cilan asked. When he had encountered Pikachu earlier, the electric Pokemon had seemed familiar, but the Cilan found it impossible that Ash's Pikachu would be with some random girl.

"Yep."

Cilan's face turned into a huge smile. He had never known Ash to have any children, so this discovery was very exciting for him. "This is excellent!" Cilan gushed, clasping his hands together. "This news is a dessert recipe exploding with flavor! Memories like the familiarity of the taste, sweetness like the vanilla you add, and mystery like the secret ingredient that makes it unique!"

"You sure know a lot about cooking," Charlie observed. Her dad hadn't been kidding when he said Cilan would use a wide variety of cooking adjectives.

"I do love to cook." Charlie could tell. "And my brothers and I run a restaurant in Unova together that also doubles as the Striaton City Gym."

"You have siblings? You're so lucky," Charlie raved, disregarding the fact that he was a gym leader. "I wish I had a sibling."

Despite the fact that she had many friends that acted as the siblings she never had, she had always dreamed of having a younger sister or brother. When her dad was still alive, she always hoped he would get married so that she could have the younger sibling she wanted. And now, even with her dad gone and her chances slim of ever getting a sibling, she often found herself daydreaming about one of Ash's female friends being her mom and what that might be like.

She had matched him with Misty, believing that she would be a strict but loving mom, who would protect her from anyone who tried to hurt her. For May, she had envisioned her to be the mom who would fix her all her favorite foods and take her out on the mom and daughter outings she had always envied her female friends for having. Finally, with Dawn, she could see the peppy coordinator as a mom who would take her shopping, cheer her on, and be a bit embarrassing at times. While she knew that any of these qualities could apply to the three, she decided in the end that she would have been happy with either one and that she was pretty confident they would never leave her.

"Hmmm. Siblings are quite special," Cilan remarked. "But I'm pretty sure your father was an only child as well."

"He was?"

Charlie had never known that before now. Her dad's family was just another one of those topics her dad rarely ever talked about, and she knew nothing about her mom's side of the family. That meant that she didn't have any aunts or uncles or even cousins. It left her wondering if she even had a living family member from his side.

Cilan nodded in confirmation, but quickly realized that maybe they were getting a bit off topic. While he would love to help Charlie and answer questions about her dad, he honestly never knew that much about Ash. Or, at least, compared to his other friends, he knew very little. He had come to help her for a different reason, but now that they had quickly solved that mystery, his presence was no longer needed.

"I'm sorry our meeting ended so quickly," he apologized. "I was really looking forward to solving the mystery of the secret person."

"It's okay," Charlie assured him. If she had known that Cilan was the one she was supposed to find, she wouldn't have asked him for help. "I'm glad I found you, though. I have something I'm supposed to give you."

"What's this?" Cilan inquired as Charlie handed him the sealed envelope. "Another secret ingredient to the recipe of Ash's life?"

"Um… I don't know," Charlie admitted. "It's a letter, though."

_Cilan, _

_ Did Charlie find you okay? I wasn't sure how she was going to find you and Iris, but I wrote this letter anyway in hopes that one day she would run into you. So, I guess, if you're reading this letter than that means she eventually found you. In case she didn't tell you, she's my daughter; a daughter nobody knew about. My hope is that when you read this she is still just a beginning trainer-Professor Oak was supposed to have you come here-, but time will answer that one. _

_ As part of her journey through Kanto, I am having her meet my old traveling companions so that she can learn about them and they can learn about her. So, since you and I traveled through Unova together, that puts you on this list. As far as traveling companions go, you're the last one she is meeting. (I saved the best for last.) In the spirit of you, I created riddles for her to try and solve that will lead her to each person. I knew that you would be helpful to her here because you love to solve mysteries, and from what I remember about my own battle at Cinnabar, you're going to have to solve a riddle or two-or five-to find the gym._

_ I warned Charlie about your extensive use of describing things by using vocabulary related to food and cooking, but don't be surprised if she's a little confused by what those words mean. I know that I was a little lost at first when you started saying that my battling style lacked flavor. I didn't even know it could have flavor. _

_ Other than sending her to you so that you could help her and so that you could meet her, I wanted her to know you because you were always a great friend and help to me. You gave good advice and you were good about having confidence in me to be able to do things I thought I couldn't. You're an excellent cook and I'm sure that she will enjoy your cooking-Her appetites identical to mine and she'll try pretty much anything._

_ Finally, if you can, you should definitely go watch her when she competes in the Indigo League so that you can meet some of my traveling companions you never got to. There are two friends of mine, Brock and Misty, who I think you will get along with especially well. My friend Brock played the same role as you on our travels, and just like you, he's an excellent cook. Misty on the other hand, although more similar to Iris in personality, is a big fisher and makes her own lures like you. Just ask her about her Mini Misty collection. I'm sure you'll get along well with my other friends, but those two had qualities that instantly reminded me of you. I'm sorry we never got to spend much time after our travels together, but fill free to bother Charlie all you want. _

_ Your friend,_

_ Ash_

_ P.S. Tell your brothers I say hello. _

Folding up the letter, Cilan slipped it into his pocket. "Well, it appears as if I'm able to help you another way."

"Really? How?"

"There is a mystery concerning the legend Cinnabar Gym that needs solving," Cilan quickly answered. "And I think I know where we should start."

"Nurse Joy told me it didn't exist," Charlie countered.

"So they say. We shall get to the bottom of this, however," he replied, pulling out his cap and placing it on his head. Pulling out a second one, he placed it on Charlie's head. "Every good detective needs an assistant."

Charlie's face lit up in excitement, having secretly wanted to wear a similar cap the instant he put it on. As silly as she knew it might look, she would admit it was always fun to dress the part.

"It's mystery time!" Cilan declared, whipping out his magnifying glass. Lowering it to the ground, he began to scan for supposed clues. "Follow me, Charlie."

OOOO

"Welcome to the Riddle Inn, how may I help you?" a man with blonde hair inquired.

"We want to know about the Cinnabar Gym," Charlie blurted out, beating Cilan to the punch. "My dad told me that there's a gym here, but nobody seems to know anything about it."

The man who had seemed uninterested in their arrival gave a sly smile. It was true that nobody really knew about the Cinnabar Gym, and rumors had circulated that it was gone and nobody ever came here for a gym battle. He knew the truth, however, and would only divulge it to those trainers who came looking for the gym.

"Although destroyed many years ago, the gym has been rebuilt and is only accepting those who come looking for it," the man explained. "In order to find it, you must be able to answer a riddle."

"More riddles?" Charlie groaned, lowering her head.

She knew her dad had clued her in on there being riddles, but she had just thought it was referring to finding her way to the gym by asking. She hadn't actually thought she would have to answer a riddle to find the gym. She had been answering riddles since she set out on her journey, and she was starting to get a little tired of them. Then again, one more wouldn't hurt her, right?

"What's the riddle?" Cilan asked, pushing forward in his investigation.

"The gym is located in a place where firefighters could never win," the man recited.

Shifting her brain into deep thought, Charlie pondered the question for a while. "I got it!" she suddenly declared, surprising the man and Cilan. "It's the sun!"

While Cilan looked bewildered at her answer, the man at the front desk just slid his hand down his face in irritation. Even Pikachu couldn't help but roll his eyes at Charlie's terrible answer. Having known the answer from hearing and witnessing it many years ago, he couldn't believe that's what she had come up with.

"No, Charlie," Cilan snapped, pursing his lips a bit. He couldn't believe Charlie could just be ignorant of science and come up with an answer like that. "Use your head. You can't possibly have a gym on the sun. It's scientifically impossible."

"Fine," she grumbled in anger. "So it's not the sun."

"I'll let you two figure it out," the man said before they shouted any more answers. "If you need anything, let me know."

After that he departed, leaving Cilan and Charlie to solve the riddle on their own. With Cilan in the lead, Charlie followed him outside while they both continued to ponder the riddle.

"We need to think more logically," Cilan suggested. Although he didn't know much about the island itself, he had known it to be a rather tropical place, allowing for many possible answers to the riddle. "Are there any landmarks that this place is known for?"

"It's popular because of its hot springs," Charlie offered even though she knew that wasn't the answer. You couldn't have a gym in a hot spring. That was just crazy. "But I doubt that's the answer."

"Pika!" Pikachu shouted in Charlie's ear, startling her.

"Ow Pikachu!" she shouted, her ear now ringing from Pikachu's high pitched voice. "That's not funny!"

Pikachu didn't really seem to care, much more focused on getting Charlie and Cilan to look toward the direction he was now pointing. When they both finally noticed Pikachu pointing toward the giant volcano toward the back of the island, Cilan finally understood.

"A volcano," he concluded for the both of them. "The answer is a volcano. A firefighter could never win there. You wouldn't be able to get enough water to put out the lava in a volcano. But how can you have a gym in a volcano?"

"I don't know," Charlie quickly answered, thrilled to have solved the riddle. As annoying as what Pikachu had done was, she would have to thank him for it later, "but let's find out."

Without warning, she took off toward the volcano in search of a gym battle. She had finally found the gym and she was confident she would win.

OOOO

"It's way too hot in here," Charlie complained as she attempted to fan herself with her hand. Thanks to Pikachu, she had been able to find the entrance to the volcano gym and was now headed down to what was supposed to be the actual battlefield. "Do you think we get the badge just for surviving the walk down here?"

"It's quite the scorcher in here," Cilan commented as he too tried to wipe the sweat off his face. He was regretting his normal attire of a long sleeved shirt, pants and a button down vest. "But like I always say, if you can't take the heat, then get out of the kitchen."

_Great, more cooking analogies. _Being very limited in her cooking ability, Charlie didn't quite always understand the cooking analogies or hidden meanings behind the words he used to describe things. She could understand him when he talked about the mystery related words, but when it came to the cooking she was a bit lost. _I bet Brock would understand them. _

When the finally reached the bottom, they gawked in awe at the giant battlefield suspended over the lava. After the initial shock of it, however, Charlie gulped in fear as she realized that if she made one wrong move, it could be the end. Faster than it had arisen, her confidence drained away.

"I don't think I can do this."

"Of course you can," Cilan assured her, having total confidence in Charlie's abilities as a trainer. "Just mix together your flavor filled personality and battling skills, some zesty flair and place it on a burning stove of confidence. Those are all the ingredients you need in the recipe for success."

_What does that even mean?_ Charlie internally sighed. She was starting to wish her dad had provided her with dictionary to decode what Cilan was talking about.

"I've see you've figured it out," a voice interrupted them. Whirling around, she was surprised to see the man from the Riddle Inn standing on the other side of the battlefield. Throwing them for even bigger loop, he pulled off his hair to reveal it to be a wig. "Congratulations. My name is Blaine and I'm the Cinnabar Island gym leader."

"You're the gym leader?"

"We did it!" Cilan announced. He always loved when he was able to successfully solve a mystery. Grabbing Charlie's shoulder, he pulled her close to him as he used his other hand to strike a victory pose. "The first mystery solved by the investigation team of Cilan the detective and his assistant Charlie!"

"Are you ready to battle?" Blaine asked, moving the conversation forward. It had been a while since he had battled a trainer and he was just as pumped as Charlie was.

"I'm ready," Charlie declared, although her voice was shaky.

OOOO

"We did it, Totodile!" Charlie cheered, as she raised Totodile high in the air and danced around. Not really sure what was going on, Totodile just went with it and waved his feet and arms in the air in celebration. "We won our 7th badge!"

"Excellent work," Cilan applauded, while Pikachu, who had been sitting on his lap watching, cheered as well. "That battle was full of flavor and the attacks on both ends were filled with precision and flair. And your Charmeleon evolved into a powerful Charizard! I was on the edge of my seat."

"Congratulations, Charlie," Blaine congratulated her, although he was a bit angered by his loss. He hadn't lost in a very long time, and this kid had gone and beaten him. "Here's your volcano badge."

Grabbing the badge Charlie whirled around to face them, extending her hand with the badge toward them. The gesture, although a simple celebration of victory, caused Cilan to instantly think of Ash, who had presented the same stance when he had won a badge. The only thing missing was Pikachu sitting on her shoulder.

After Charlie thanked Blaine and congratulated Totodile on a good job once again, she tried to get out of the gym as fast as she could.

"You know what I just realized?" Charlie asked Cilan as they walked out of the gym. She didn't wait for him to answer, though. "If I would have fallen in that volcano when Blaine's Ninetales sent Charmeleon flying, I would have come out being nothing but ash. Get it? I look like my dad and his name is Ash…"

"Your joke lacks the proper ingredients to be funny," Cilan sighed. "And you two aren't exactly identical. That would be scientifically impossible considering both parents donate genes."

_Ouch. I think I just got insulted. _"So technical…You could have at least pretended it was funny," Charlie muttered under her breath. Oh well. Comedy was never her strong point. "So now what do we do?"

"Well, it is dinner time," Cilan informed her as he quickly glanced at his watch. Just as he said this, Charlie's stomach growled in reply. Smiling as Charlie's face turned a little red in embarrassment, Cilan continued on, "and it appears your stomach agrees. We can head to the center and I'll fix you a nice meal."

What had become a meal for Charlie, however, quickly became a meal for the whole center. When they had gotten to the center, Cilan had offered to cook the dinner for Nurse Joy if she was able to give him the supplies. Getting the okay, while Cilan whipped up a meal for the numerous trainers staying in the center, Charlie and a few other trainers had used their Pokemon to convert the room into a small restaurant. In what felt like no time at all, Cilan was using his Pokemon to help him serve the food to the hungry trainers. Even Pikachu had gotten his own bottle of ketchup from Cilan.

After the meal, Cilan had to return to his hotel that had been provided for him, while Charlie was forced to stay in the center for the night. Before he left, though, Cilan promised to meet her back here in the morning before Charlie moved on to the next city.

"So where do you think we're going to go after this?" Charlie asked Pikachu as she pulled out the letter about Cilan from her backpack. "Nurse Joy mentioned something about an Ivory City. I wonder if that's where I'll get my eighth badge."

"Pi-ka," Pikachu shrugged, not knowing the answer.

"Well, we'll find out soon enough," she replied, hopping on the bed with her letter. Patting the space next to her, she invited Pikachu to join her. "Now let's learn about Cilan."

_Charlie, _

_I hoped you enjoyed meeting Cilan and that you didn't get too confused by the things he said. Were you able to find the gym and solve the riddle? Who knew a gym could be located in a volcano? (Whoops, I just gave you the answer. I hope you figured it out before reading this.) Then again, volcanos are pretty cool and they produce ash, which is pretty amazing too. : )_

_As you may have noticed, he's very skilled at what he does and he also happens to be a very good chef. Then again, he seems to know about so many different things that I've lost tracked. I always wondered what other things asides from cooking, sleuthing, trains, fishing, and science he knows about. When I met him in Unova, he ran a restaurant with his two older brothers that also doubled as a gym. After our battle, he asked to join me on my journey so that he could learn more about Pokemon and ask me all the questions he could about my battling style. (I didn't know I really had one…I kind of just winged things most of the time.)_

_Cilan, along with Iris, will be there to help you out if you ever head over to Unova, which I hope you do one day. He's one of the nicest and most mature people I know, and I know that he will enjoy helping you and giving you any advice you may need along your journey. When it comes to the art of battling, he'll be the one you want to go to. While, he may not know this, the way he talked about battling and attacks always reminded me of how the judges would talk about contest battles and how the attacks and battle needed to be strong yet appealing. The combination of those two elements plus the advice you'll get form the other will definitely create a battle at the Indigo Plateau worth remembering. Good luck on your journey, you're almost there! Just one more badge and you're on your way to the finals. _

_Love, _

_Your Father. _

"See Cilan?" Charlie said out loud even though Cilan wasn't around. "Even he made the ash joke."

OOOO

The next morning, just like he promised, Cilan was waiting in the lobby for Charlie.

"Good morning, Charlie. Did you sleep well?" Cilan inquired.

"Yeah. Thanks for asking," she replied as she walked over to where he was standing. "Are you headed back to Unova?"

"Not yet. I'm headed to Fuchsia City to meet Iris and help her out on her research. We'll be sure to meet back up with you during the Indigo League. Kanto is simply such a beautiful region with so many rare Pokemon and I wouldn't dare miss an opportunity to watch you battle."

Having not noticed it before, Charlie was a little alarmed when Cilan pulled something from behind his back and placed it on her head.

"This is for you. It's your own detective hat to help you solve your dad's riddles, although I might be a little late," he blushed. If he had known of Charlie's existence at the beginning of her journey, the hat might have proved more useful with more people left to find. Using his other hand, he handed her a magnifying glass. "Oh! And here's a magnifying glass to go with it."

"Thanks, Cilan," Charlie replied, turning a bit red in embarrassment. It had been very kind of him to give her these gifts, and while she wouldn't deny that she was a good trainer, she wasn't about to get overconfident and blow up her ego. She was still a beginner and had plenty to learn and she could always train her Pokemon a bit more. "That means a lot."

"You're very welcome Charlie," Cilan smiled back. "Now where do your riddles have you headed next?"

"I honestly don't know. I haven't read the note card with the next clue yet," Charlie admitted. Nobody had ever asked her where she was headed next before.

"Well read it," Cilan urged her, a bit more excited to read the clue than Charlie was. "You must always read a clue and decipher it before moving forward."

"Okay, okay." _Sheesh calm down._

Whipping out the note card, Charlie quickly glanced over it. As she looked at the name of the city she was heading to, she felt a wave of happiness wash over her, as the city had another meaning to her than just a place she needed to go.

_9. Viridian City_

_In order to be a good trainer, you need a rival who will cause you to strive to be the best you can be. The next person you will encounter is my own personal rival and childhood friend. To find them, all you need to do is complete this simple phrase. _

_Ash was here, _ a loser._

_Find the magic name and you'll find who you are looking for. _

"So where are you headed?" Cilan repeated once again.

Not bothering to look up, Charlie gave a small smile. "Home."

* * *

><p><strong>While my last chapter wasn't as great as I hoped it would be, I tried to make sure I did a better job on this one. (I've only seen a few of the new episodes and got a lot of my Cilan character info from the Bulbapedia page, so I'll see how that turned out.) I plan on going back and revising the Iris chapter just a bit and making a few minor changes. (Nothing that will alter the plot.) The next chapter will be for a character that I know you're all familiar with, giving the people who aren't very familiar with Iris and Cilan a break. Also as a heads up, this will be the chapter that will get into more detail about what Charlie was up to for those years before she started her journey and you'll get to meet some new characters. I'll try to update as fast as I can before I start getting too busy with classes. Thanks for all the support, comments, reads, reviews, alerts, etc. I don't know who any of you are, but you're awesome<strong>.


	11. Home

**Sorry it took me a while to update. I had to write to long chapters this time so I didn't leave you hanging...well, not SO much. Anyways, thanks for the billionth time for all the support you've given this story. Charlie's finally going home, so you'll get to meet the family she lives with and one of her friends. (Hooray!) I hope you enjoy the next two chapters. **

* * *

><p><em>But you can't jump the track, we're like cars on a cable,<br>And life's like an hourglass, glued to the table  
>No one can find the rewind button now<br>Sing it if you understand.  
><em>

Standing in front of Gary's desk, Ruby gingerly held a wooden frame in her hands. As she examined the picture, she had a longing to be back in the time it had taken place. In the picture she was squished between her two best friends, a symbol of her childhood. No matter what she might have told them or said to them, she could never imagine her life without them, loving them for who they were and what they had done for her. Unfortunately, she found out exactly what it was like to live without them when she had left on her journey. And when one of them had come back, she was never happier. Then fate had taken that friend away, but at the same time, had led her to the other one. Still, in the end, things would never be the same.

"Ruby?" Tearing her eyes away from the picture, Ruby looked up to see Gary staring back at her as he leaned against the doorway. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing," she lied, placing the picture in its original place on the desk.

Sighing, Gary pushed himself off the doorway and walked over to her. Ever since he had managed to get her to stay in Viridian for a while, she had remained distant as if she was hiding something from him. While she was still her bossy and independent self, Gary could tell there was an important part of her that was missing. He knew part of it had to do with the fact she had only recently found out that Ash had passed away, but even that had a greater impact on her than Gary had anticipated.

"I want to show you something," Gary suddenly announced, extending his hand for her to grab. She was a bit hesitant at first, unsure of what it was he wanted to show her, but in the end she gave in. Pulling her along, Gary threw her one of his infamous smirks. "It won't be scary, I promise."

Shutting the door behind him, Gary led Ruby down the hallway and to a door he hadn't dare open in years. When he had first inherited the training school, he had gone in there when he was checking the place out. After discovering exactly what was in it, however, he never went in again. Now that Ruby had come back in his life, he was confident that he could face his fear so long as she was by his side.

"It's a door. Very exciting," Ruby stated, sarcasm in her voice. "I can tell this is going to be great."

"It's not just a door," Gary informed her. "This is Ash's old office when he ran this place. I've only been in here once, briefly, when I inherited the place from him."

"This used to be his?" Ruby asked, very shocked. When she had lived in Viridian with Ash, he had never worked at the training school, let alone owned it. In fact, it hadn't even existed. Instead, he had worked at the Viridian City Gym as an assistant. "I never even knew this place existed."

"Not very many people did. I had heard about it before through some friends who lived here, but I never knew that he was the one who actually ran it." Ruby nodded, but she was clearly lost in her own world. "So? Ready to go inside?"

"Huh? Oh. Yeah. I guess," she shrugged. She didn't think she'd ever actually be ready to face the memories she knew were waiting for her in the room. The best she could hope for was that there wasn't much stuff inside to begin with.

Taking a deep breath more for himself, Gary grasped the doorknob and twisted it, pushing open the big wooden door. Flickering on the light, he was struck by the condition of the room and all the things inside that suddenly had connections to things he never knew.

Although the room wasn't a giant mess, Gary couldn't help but notice the collection of kid drawings on the far end of the room. When he had first saw them he had thought them to be pictures drawn by the kids who came to the training school. Upon closer inspection, he discovered them all to be drawn by the same person. Either on a corner on the bottom or somewhere on the top was "Charlie" written in kid like handwriting with an assortment of crayons. In the specific picture he was looking at, Charlie had drawn two stick figures-one with black hair and a smaller one with red-that were standing in front of a big house with smiles on their face. On the head of the black haired stick figure was a yellow blob with red checks, brown stripes, and a lightening bolt shaped tail.

"It's a Pikachu," Ruby observed, popping her head above Gary's shoulder so she could see.

"Yeah," Gary confirmed with a nod. "Pikachu was Ash's first Pokemon. Those two were inseparable."

_Until now_, Ruby thought to herself. Backing away, she wandered a bit more around the office, observing the various items it contained. On the back wall was a desk with a computer and a tiny collection of picture frames. Picking one at random, Ruby flipped it around and took a closer look. Despite the fact that the red-haired girl in the photo looked vaguely familiar, as her eyes scanned over the photo, she found herself unable to identify anyone in the picture except Ash.

"Gary," she called to her friend. When he turned around, she flipped the frame so that it was facing him, "who are these people?"

Striding over to her, Gary quickly glanced over the photo. "That's Misty and Brock. They were Ash's first traveling companions. The three of them traveled through Kanto and Johto together before they had to part ways."

"Oh."

Now she remembered. Misty had been the girl Ruby remembered being the reason Ash's so abruptly hung up the phone when she called to tell him the news about Charlotte. She had come to check on him when he hadn't followed the rest of them to bed.

"This is May and Max," Gary's voice burst through the silence as he pointed out two figures in another frame. After setting the other one back down, he had turned them all around so he could see them. "They traveled with Ash through Hoenn and when he took on the Battle Frontier."

Setting it back down before Ruby could say anything, he picked up another one.

"And this is Dawn," he once again explained. "Her, Ash and Brock traveled through Sinnoh together."

Dawn. Ruby had seen the blue haired girl many times before when she had gone to watch Maggie's contests. In fact, if she had remembered correctly, she had even beaten the girl in a doubles contest with Maggie. While Ruby had always thought the girl to be a bit peppy yet fairly nice, her friend Maggie had never been fond of Dawn, having been beaten by her many times.

"He went a lot of places," Ruby commented, not fully aware of the extent of Ash's travels. For reasons unknown to her, whenever she would ask him about his travels since he started his journey, he never wanted to talk about them. "I only went to Kanto and Johto before I stopped."

"Yeah he did," Gary replied, not really listening, as he was more focused on deciphering who was in the photos. "This is Iris and Cilan. I think they traveled with him when he went to Unova," Gary muttered, pointing to a picture of Ash with a green-haired man and a younger girl with curly hair.

"He went to Unova?" Ruby inquired, shocked to hear he had traveled that far.

Gary, of course, wasn't listening.

"Oh look!" he cried, picking up a much larger frame. "This must be Charlie."

Flicking her eyes over to the photo he was holding, Ruby felt a tiny pain in her heart as she observed the joyful smile on Charlie's face as she sat on Ash's shoulders with the hat he always wore sitting on her head, much to big for her tiny head. Even Ash looked happy as his matching brown eyes gazed into hers, adorned with one of his lopsided smiles.

"They look so happy," she muttered to herself. If this picture proved anything, it was that they were happy without her and that they never actually needed her to be happy together. "What was I even thinking? This is a mistake. I never should have come here…"

She felt a patch of heat on her shoulder as Gary rested his hand there. "That's not true, Rubes," he tried to comfort her. Gripping her shoulder a bit tighter, he pulled her closer to him. "She'll love you, Ruby. I know it. You just got to give it a chance."

"You don't know that, Gary." Pushing herself away from him, she slipped away under his arm.

While Charlie might learn to love Ruby initially, things would change when Charlie found out who Ruby really was.

"Well you're wrong," he stated, making it obvious he would hear nothing else. Setting the frame back on the desk, he grabbed Ruby's hand and started pulling her back toward the door. "Now let's get out of here. This place is giving me the creeps."

No matter how hard she tried, her frown slowly crept its way into a smile upon hearing what Gary had said.

"Is Gary Oak scared?" Ruby teased, a tiny smile on her face.

"No."

"Hear that Ashy Boy?" Ruby called into the office despite the fact there was nobody else in there. "Gary Oak is actually scared; and of you of all people. Imagine that."

"She lies, Ash," Gary yelled back into the empty room. "Just like always. In fact, remember that time your brand new bike somehow ended up in the lake? Yeah? Well, that was Ruby's fault."

"Gary!" Ruby gasped, lightly whacking him on the arm. Until now, Ruby had never told Ash the truth about what happened to his bike, instead being able to convince him for years that his bike had gotten carried away by a rogue pack of Diglett and Dugtrio. As Gary just laughed at her, she folded her arms, grumbling and pouting like a little kid. "I needed a bike to run to the market, but mine was trapped and yours was right there. It's not my fault that Rattata ran across the road."

To someone looking on, the two would come across as going crazy. But as they stood outside the door bantering back and forth, both couldn't deny the fact they felt like they had traveled back to the times in Pallet.

"You hear that, Ashy Boy? She's a bike wrecker just like you," Gary snickered. As he turned to see Rudy's face looking ticked off and flustered, he felt himself smiling. He had always loved teasing her and making her mad. Plus, she was pretty cute when she was mad. Laughing some more, he just shook his head. "Many bikes could have been saved if she had just told the truth."

"Oh yeah?" Ruby countered, her tone of voice challenging. "Who put a firecracker in the Pidgey bird house and then framed you? Wasn't me."

"He he he. I remember that," Gary laughed sheepishly. While his grandfather had run inside to get something, he had stuck the firecracker in the birdhouse and then acted like he was playing with the Caterpie. "I kind of feel bad about it now. He got into a lot of trouble."

"I know. He was grounded for like two weeks and Ms. Ketchum made him write an apology letter and help the Professor build a new one."

"You want to go get some hot chocolate? My treat." Gary asked out of the blue. He didn't want to stand here any longer than he had to. "It'll be much more exiting than hanging out in a dead guy's office. I swear."

"If you're buying, then sure."

"Good," he smiled, leaning forward to kiss her on the cheek. "Then it's a date."

OOOO

"We made it Pikachu!" Charlie cried as she halted in front of a tiny house. "We're finally home."

The house that Charlie and Pikachu stood in front of was a yellowish house with a big front porch and patches of soil where flowers had once been. Where Charlie and Pikachu were standing was a gate attached to a brown fence that ran around the perimeter of the house. Running up the path, Charlie beamed in excitement when she spotted her mother's Skitty scratching at the window, having recognized Charlie.

"That's Nigel," Charlie explained to Pikachu, pointing at the pink kitten. "I should warn you that he likes to chase things, so, watch out."

"Pika," Pikachu groaned, drooping his head a bit. Skittys were just one of the several Pokemon he did not like very much. They were always too hyper for him, and they always chased his tail.

After having warned Pikachu about Nigel, Charlie knocked on the door and proceeded to wait. When she heard footsteps from the other side, her excitement became almost uncontainable. She truly was happy to see her family after so long.

When the door opened, it revealed a woman with brown hair and dark blue eyes. A rather petite woman, she wore a purple long leave shirt and jeans. When she saw Charlie standing in front of the door, she ran forward and embraced her in a hug.

"Charlie! You're home," she cried, crushing her in a tight hug. As quickly as she had hugged Charlie, she released her and turned back toward the open door. "Daniel, come quick! Charlie's home!"

After yelling to her husband, the woman named Christina turned back to Charlie and just smiled. She was beyond excited to see her daughter after almost a year, and was slightly surprised at how much she had changed in that amount of time. Her hair was much longer, her skin slightly tanner from days spent walking in the sun, and she now had a Pikachu sitting atop her head that had not been there when she left.

Flicking her eyes away from Charlie, her blue yes met Pikachu's big black ones as they stared at each other. Since Pikachu hadn't been with Charlie since Ash's death, he had never gotten the chance to meet the people she now called her parents. Despite not having met them, though, he instantly recognized the woman from years past. And from the look on the woman's face as she stared back at Pikachu, he could tell that she was starting to recognize him, too.

"Is that your dad's Pikachu?"

"Yeah, how'd you know?" Charlie asked, surprised her mother had quickly picked up on this fact. Before now, nobody had known who he was except Max.

"I'd recognize this Pikachu anywhere," she smiled back at her daughter. "Do you still like ketchup, Pikachu?"

Before Pikachu could respond with a cry of glee, a man with light brown hair and hazel eyes emerged from the doorway. He was much taller than his wife, gaining a good foot over her and he wore a button down shirt and jeans.

"Hey there, Charlie," he greeted her with a little less enthusiasm than his wife. That didn't' mean he hadn't missed her. As he stepped forward to give her a gentler hug, he ruffled her hair in loving and fatherly way. "How'd your journey go, kiddo? Did you solve all the riddles?"

Before Charlie had left on her journey, he and his wife had given her the box they had kept for years. They didn't know what was in the box and had only been given instructions to give it to her when she turned ten. After opening the box, Charlie had explained to them that it was from her dad and that it was filled with letters and clues she was supposed to use to find people along her journey. Daniel remembered her telling them that there weren't any actual names given, only nicknames and little descriptions about the people. He imagined this would make it much harder for Charlie to find the people she needed to, but she had assured him that she would be able to find them.

"I have two more envelopes left, including the one for the person I'm supposed to find here in Viridian" she informed them. "So three left. I don't know if they are all letters, though. I really haven't looked ahead."

"That's wonderful, dear," her mom praised her, brushing her hand down Charlie's hair. "How about we go inside and I'll fix you some lunch. You can tell us all about your journey then. Sound good?"

"Yeah. I'm starving."

OOOO

"Is anyone else back yet?" Charlie asked after finishing telling her parents about her journey through Kanto and all the different people she had met along the way.

"Grayson got back the other day," her mother informed her. Giving a small laugh, she went on to tell Charlie that, "I ran into this mother the other day and she said that he was already bored."

At this Charlie couldn't help but laugh as well. It was no secret that her friend Grayson had the attention span of a Rattata. Whenever they would do something together, if it wasn't appealing to him, he would lose interest within minutes of starting the activity. He had to constantly be active, switching from activity to activity.

"Maybe I should go visit him after this," she suggested.

"I think that's a lovely idea," her mother replied. "Your father has to work tonight and I have to run to the grocery, so it's going to be rather quiet."

"Alright. I'll do that then."

After finishing up her lunch and helping clean up the dishes, Charlie was ready to go visit her friend Grayson. When she had asked Pikachu if he wanted to come along, he had refused to move, instead wanting to take a long nap after traveling. So, after cleaning up and changing her clothes, Charlie headed out to go visit her friend. Once outside, she ran past her house and down the street before turning the corner onto another one. Out of all her friends, Grayson had always lived the furthest away. Thankfully, despite his house being far away from the others, the neighborhoods in Viridian were close together so it wasn't unbearable.

Upon reaching Grayson's house, she felt the same excitement she had experienced when she had reached her own house. They had grown up together as kids, and had even planned on traveling together once they started their journeys. But upon receiving the package of her dad's letters, Charlie had insisted she travel by herself. It hadn't been because she didn't trust Grayson or that she was afraid of him finding out; he had always known about her dad's death. It was just that, as her friend Harmony had described, "she was too stubborn and proud, insisting she do everything on her own." Looking back, she somewhat regretted the decision, as she had felt lonely several times, enjoying her journey more when she spent time with one her dad's friends.

Knocking on the door, Charlie stepped back and waited for someone to answer. Hearing footsteps approach the door, she felt her heart race a bit in nervousness.

"Charlie!" Mrs. Stewart, Grayson's mom, greeted Charlie with a big smile. "It's so good to see you. How are you dear?"

"I'm doing well, Mrs. Stewart. I came home so I could fight the Viridian City Gym leader for my last badge," Charlie kindly informed her. "My mom told me Grayson's been pretty bored, so, I decided to stop by and visit."

"Of course! He'll be so excited to see you," Mrs. Stewart replied. Moving aside, she let Charlie enter the house before shutting the door behind her. "He's up in his room right now. You still remember where that is?"

"Of course I do," Charlie laughed. Even though it had been a while since she had been here, she could never forget where her best friend's room was.

Thanking Mrs. Stewart, Charlie headed up the steps to Grayson's room. As she reached the door, Charlie lifted her hand up and knocked on the door as obnoxiously as she could. After a few seconds, Grayson finally opened the door.

"Sheesh. Where's the fire?" he joked. When he saw who was at the door, though, his eyes widened in surprise. "Charlie! You're back!"

"Yep! I just got back today."

"Really? How was your little quest? Did you figure out that riddle? Did you find who you were supposed to? Who was it?" Grayson asked, firing off question after question.

"Grayson! Too many questions at once," Charlie snapped, unable to keep track of his questions. "If you want we can go hang out somewhere and I'll tell you all about it."

"Sure. If you're, um, up for it, you can walk to the training school with me. I've got to pick up some forms for a class I want to take."

"My dad's old place?"

"Yeah…"

As Charlie took in the information, Grayson watched her face for any sign of what she might decide. When they were little, he, Charlie, Morgan and Harmony would always go to the training school so they could watch the battles. But after Charlie's dad passed away, she never set foot in the training school again. That's why when Grayson suggested Charlie accompany him to the training school, he knew things could get sensitive.

Charlie bit her lip in nervousness as she debated what to do. "Grayson, I…"

"It's okay if you don't want to go, Charlie," he promised her. He knew how fragile Charlie could be and he didn't want to push her to do something she wasn't ready for. "I understand. I can always go tomorrow."

"No. It's okay. I'll go," she finally decided much to Grayson's surprise. Maybe her journey had actually helped her out.

"Are you sure?" While he was happy that she had decided to finally try, he wanted to make sure she wasn't just saying yes because he had suggested they go.

"Yeah. Let's go," she quickly answered, afraid she would psych herself out. "Before I change my mind."

"Sweet," he replied, giving her an assuring smile.

Shutting his door, he proceeded to walk down the stairs with Charlie following behind. Since the training school was located downtown and Grayson's house was far from the city, it would be a long walk. Knowing that the large amount of time would allow Charlie to think about where they were going, Grayson tried to strike up a conversation in hopes that it would distract her and prevent her from changing her mind. While he would never push her if she ended up backing out, deep down he knew that this was something she needed to do.

"So, you were going to tell me about how your quest went," Grayson started to say, picking up the conversation where they had left it. "Who was the person you were supposed to find in Cerulean City?"

"The gym leader, Misty. She was one of my dad's friends and his first traveling companion," Charlie explained, retelling the tale of her eleven month journey. "He stole her bike and then it got destroyed. After that, she told him that she wasn't going to leave until he paid her back for her bike."

"He knew Misty?" Grayson repeated. Although he didn't know her personally, he did know whom Misty was, as he had battled her for his own Cascade Badge in the middle of his journey. "That's really cool. She's a really strong gym leader. She had this really cool Oshawott, too. They're really rare here in Kanto. So where'd you go next?"

"Well, next I met his friend, Brock, who used to be the Pewter City Gym Leader. Now he's a Pokemon Breeder," Charlie continued on as she walked next to Grayson. "He's one of the best cooks I've ever met. Probably better than your dad."

"Nice try, Charlie," Grayson chuckled, finding her statement funny. "Nobody's as good as my dad. You can't beat a professional chef."

"You never know…" she grinned.

"Whatever. You know I'm right," Grayson concluded for the two of them, settling the argument. "Anyways, how many people did you end up meeting?"

Holding up her hand, Charlie started to count the number of people with her fingers. "Let's see… Misty, Brock, Tracey, May, Max, Dawn, Iris, Cilan…So, that's eight."

"Eight people?" Grayson whistled out of sheer number of people. "That's a lot of people. Your dad sure had a lot of friends."

"Yeah, I know. I still have people I haven't met yet, too," Charlie giggled. Her dad had accumulated a lot of friends in the short amount of time he had spent traveling. "It was lots of fun meeting them, though."

"Really? Wow. Well in that cast, since you and I are back together again and you wouldn't let me help you out before, can I help you out now?" Grayson asked. Clasping his hands together, he put on his best Growlithe eyes. "Pretty pleeeasse."

Ever since she had told him about the journey her dad had set her out on, he had begged her to let him join. He wanted to meet the people who she was supposed to find, curious about the life of Charlie's dad. When she had told him she wanted to do this herself, he had asked if he could maybe meet her half –way through so she could do the first half on her own. Despite his bargaining attempts, Charlie's decision hadn't swayed and she had gone off on her own. Now that he was here and was probably going to pester her until she gave in, she didn't see anyways around saying no.

"Fine."

"Yes!" Grayson cheered, throwing his fist in the air. "Can I see the riddle?"

Pulling it out of her backpack, Charlie handed the note card over to Grayson. As he read over it, she walked quietly beside him. Unlike when she had visited all the other towns and cities in Kanto, the majority of the people in Viridian knew who her dad was. That meant they would probably be able to tell her who his friends were and who he considered his rival.

"I feel bad for the loser," Grayson finally said after a few seconds. "They just got insulted by a dead guy."

"Oh yeah. He didn't really say much about this person like last time," Charlie added. "It'll be hard to narrow down."

"You should talk to Gary when we get to the training school," Grayson suggested, handing the note card back to Charlie. "He always seemed to know a lot about your dad."

At the sound of Gary's name, Charlie abruptly stopped walking. Grayson kept walking, not noticing her abrupt stop. "Wait, do you mean Gary Oak?"

Stopping his own walk after finally noticing she had stopped, he turned around and faced her.

"Yeah. He runs the training school now." _I'm pretty sure I told her that before. _

"That's it!" Charlie suddenly hollered, her high-pitched cry of victory piercing Grayson's ears. "Gary's the person I'm supposed to find. One of my dad's friends showed me a video of my dad battling Gary. The announcer said that they were rivals. Gary has to be it. He just has to be."

After hearing her explanation behind why Gary was whom she was supposed to find, Grayson thought it over for a second. "That would make sense…Wah!"

Mid sentence, Grayson was cut off when he felt a thud against his side as Charlie crashed into him with a hug. "You're the best Grayson!" Releasing the hug, she grabbed Grayson's arm and proceeded to tug him behind her as she ran down the street. "Let's go see Gary!"

OOOO

"Welcome, how may I help you?" the lady at the front desk greeted them when they walked in.

Now that Charlie stood in front of the desk, it actually hit her as to where she was. In her rush to find Gary, she had run right into the training school without even a slight hesitation. With her brain all cleared up and her ability to have a better sense of her surroundings, she felt a tiny wave of fear.

"We need to talk to Gary, please," Grayson explained. He had glanced over to see if Charlie would explain why they were here, but when he saw the look of fear on her face, he spoke up for them. "It's really important."

"Alright. Just let me go check to see if he's busy right now," the receptionist explained. Getting up from her seat, she headed down the hallway. "I'll be right back. Just wait here."

After the woman had left, Grayson quickly turned to look at Charlie. "You okay, Charlie?" he carefully asked her. He knew from experience that she could get a bit touchy when she was afraid. She didn't say anything, though, instead nodding her head very slowly. Smiling a bit at the fact that she was taking this better than he thought, he placed his hand on her shoulder. "You can do this, Charlie. It'll be okay."

"Thanks," she replied, her voice barely audible. While she knew that coming here would be a good first step after traveling around Kanto in search of her dad's friends, she was still very scared. Scared of what, she didn't know. She just never came in here.

After that, nothing was said until they heard the clapping of heels as the receptionist returned. "He's free if you need to talk with him. His office is just down the hallway. Third door on the right."

"Thank you," Grayson said for the both of them.

Lightly grabbing Charlie's arm, he gave her a tiny yank to get her moving. He knew she was still pretty scared, but he also knew that if he unfroze her from where she was standing, she would start walking. The two of them walked down the hallway until they came across an open door that met the receptionist's description.

"Gary?" Grayson called into the open room.

At the sound of his name being called, Gary turned around in his chair to see who was at the door. Next to him on the floor was his prized Umbreon snoozing happily.

"The one and only," Gary smirked, leaning back in his chair as he crossed his arms and put them behind his back. "How can I help you?"

"Um, well, my name's Grayson, and…" Moving aside to reveal Charlie hidden behind him, he continued the introductions, "…this is my friend-"

"Charlie," he finished for Grayson. "Don't worry, I know her."

"You do?" Charlie asked, looking back at Gary. She knew he had seen her at the lab in Pallet, but she hadn't actually thought he remembered her name.

"I know all the kids who start out in Viridian. They all take the intro class," he explained. At the beginning of each year, he got a list of all who would be leaving for their journeys that year. This was so that he could contact them and inform their parents about the training classes offered for those who were about to embark on their journeys. "She, however.." he stated, pointing his finger at her, "...was the only one who didn't."

"Well, you see..." Charlie started to try and explain.

"I know why," he stated, giving her a sympathetic smile. Nodding toward the jacket Charlie was wearing, he remarked on her jacket, which was obviously too big for her, falling to almost her knees. It was the exact same one he had seen Ash wearing when he had left for Hoenn, leading him to conclude that Ash had probably given it to her. Smirking, he uncrossed his arms and leaned forward in his chair. "So how's Ashy Boy's little group of misfits? Were they surprised that he had a daughter? I sure was."

When Charlie's eyes widened in surprise, Gary just laughed."Ash's Group of Misfits" was a name he given to whatever poor soul(s) were forced to travel with him. Ever since he had met Ash's first couple traveling companions, he had decided that Ash always seemed to find those who had these odd little quirks.

He traveled with Misty, the girl who couldn't keep her temper in check for more than five minutes, and Brock the ex gym leader who couldn't seem to pick up a girl no matter how hard he tried.

After that it was Professor Oak obsessed Tracey; May, the girl who had no interest in training Pokemon but had gone on her journey anyway; her brother Max who's greatest thrill in life was getting to experience a Pokemon's strongest attack.

Then there was Dawn who tried to pack a suitcase for her travels and dressed up for contest like she was going to the ball; Iris, who slept and lived in trees; and Cilan, who spoke in terms Gary didn't even understand. Oh, and he couldn't forget their fearless leader, Ash, who couldn't get through a town or city without destroying something. He was always surprised that no lawsuits had ever been filed against Ash.

"How did you…How did you know who I am?" she stuttered.

Unlike everyone else, Gary knew exactly who she was before she introduced herself, AND he knew who's daughter she was. She wondered if one of her father's friends had warned Gary about her coming, but she was pretty sure her dad had said nobody would know her connection to him.

"That's for me to know," he grinned devilishly at her. He knew he had told Ruby that he would be nice to Ash's daughter since he had ruthlessly teased Ash as a kid, but messing with people was in his personality. Charlie was no exception. In fact, she was special. "It wouldn't be much fun if I just told you now would it?"

"I guess…" He carefully watched as she pulled a note card out of her pocket and flipped it over to see if there was anything on the other side she had missed. "So were you my dad's rival then?"

"Rival? Is that what he told you I was. I'm insulted." Frowning at her, he really did try to look insulted by what she had said. He was a measly rival to Ash? That's it? He was more than that. He was Ash's _only_ rival, no matter what he said about Paul. "Without me he would have never gotten as far as he did. I should have a much cooler title. Maybe just even Gary Oak. My name alone strikes fear into people."

"Right…So I have something for you."

With hesitation, she handed him the envelope. Before he took the envelope from her, Gary took a few moments to get a good look at Charlie. When he had seen her at his grandfather's lab at the beginning of the year, it had only been as she was leaving and he was coming in. He hadn't known at first that she was Ash's daughter, and had only then found out through some research. It hadn't been that she looked like Ash that had made him suspicious, but rather her name. She had introduced herself as Charlie and had stated that she was from Viridian City. It was then that he remembered her as the only kid who hadn't attended any beginner's lessons. On top of that, he also knew that she had never stepped foot into the school, always causing him to wonder why.

So, after returning home, he tried to figure out who she was. Through his research and asking around, he discovered that her name was Charlotte West and that she had been left to live with a couple named Christina and Daniel after her father had passed away. Then during one of his classes, he had overheard two kids talking about how their friend Charlie had recently been given a mysterious box from her father.

"_What was in the box?" Gary curiously asked them. After taking over the school, he had made it his goal to get to know the kids who came through here so he could help them if they ever needed him. _

"_There were just a bunch of envelopes," the girl, Harmony, explained. "She said the first letter said that the envelopes were meant for all these people she was supposed to find. I don't remember where the first one was for, though." _

"_Cerulean City," the other girl, Morgan, finished for her friend. "She said she was supposed to find some girl called, The Tomboy Mermaid, but she had no idea who that was. I told her I could help her since I knew the answer, but she wouldn't let me." _

"_You knew the answer?" Harmony asked, surprised. When Charlie had shared the first riddle with her, she had no idea who it was referring to. She hadn't heard that name before. _

"_Duh," Morgan replied, rolling her eyes. "It's the nickname for the Cerulean City gym leader, Misty. She's only one of the best water Pokemon trainers out there." _

"_Right. You would know that." _

"_Wait, who's her dad?" Gary asked. _

_If Charlie's dad knew Misty, Gary probably knew him, too.  
><em>

_ "You don't know anything about her, do you?" Harmony accused, eyeing him suspiciously. When Gary shook his head, Harmony sighed in annoyance. It had been weird that Gary was asking her all these questions about her friend, but the fact he didn't know anything about her made it more understandable. "When we were kids, her dad used to run this place and we would come in here all the time to watch him battle. But after he passed away, Charlie never came in here again. I guess it freaked her out." _

_ "Yeah," Morgan nodded in agreement. "Her actual last name is Ketchum, but after Mr. and Mrs. West adopted her, she changed it." _

_ "Thank you." _

Gary was floored by what her two friends had just told him. There was no way Ash had ever had a daughter. As far as Gary knew, he was the only one who had ever kept in contact with Ash, and there had never been any mention by Ash of having a daughter. Then again, when they would talk, Ash would be very vague in what he was up to in his life.

After that, he had called his grandfather and asked him if he knew anything. To Gary's surprise, Professor Oak had known all along. In fact, he had even known about the box Charlie had received from Ash. That's when he had instructed Gary to not say anything to Ash's friends or Ms. Ketchum. So, since then, Gary had been sitting here waiting for her to return.

_They really do look alike_. She had his brown eyes and some similar facial aspects. But there was something else; someone else he recognized in her. _No way._ He felt his breath catch in his throat as he took notice of her hair color, her face and her kid like features. Snatching the envelope from Charlie's hands, he ripped it open and pulled out what appeared to be a letter. _There's no way. They wouldn't go behind my back and do this, would they? _As his eyes flew over the words of the letter searching for an answer to his question, he kept glancing up at her.

_...She's my daughter…_

He already knew that. He wouldn't be Gary Oak if it wasn't always one step ahead of Ash.

_ …If she's home in time for Christmas, could you take her to Pallet to meet my mom? She's the last person that Charlie needs to meet, and I figured it would be a nice Christmas present for her. It could be like the gift that keeps on giving. I know it would…_

While it wasn't a problem for him to take her to Pallet to meet Ms. Ketchum, it wasn't what he was looking for.

_…There's something else I need to tell you about her. I feel like a coward telling you this through a letter, but if I don't, I just know you would never find out. Plus, you deserve to know the truth. I'm sure you probably recognized a familiarity to Charlie that had nothing to do with me. While these traits are limited in appearance, the more you get to know her personality the more they show through. But I won't beat around the bush anymore. That girl I met that night was Ruby, and long story short, Ruby is Charlie's mother. _

_I'm sorry, Gary. I never meant for any of this to happen. Nobody did. It was a mistake and we… _

Gary couldn't read the letter anymore. In four little words, his worst fear had been confirmed. He had always known that Ruby had a better friendship with Ash than him, but he had never thought they would go behind his back and do _that_. They had never even liked each other, right? Ash had always loved Misty and Ruby wasn't even around anymore. Worst of all, though, Ruby had lied to him. Looked him directly in the face and lied about ever knowing anything about Charlie. She hadn't come to Viridian because she needed his help. She had come here in search of Charlie and had just happened to run into him in her search.

"I've got to go deal with something. Come back later," Gary suddenly spoke up.

Stuffing the letter into his pocket, he abruptly stood up and rushed out the door. Sensing its trainer's sudden agitation, Umbreon raced after Gary.

As Charlie and Grayson watched him walk out the door, a sense of anger and hostility to his manner, they were left confused.

"Something's wrong," Charlie stated, biting her lip. What had her dad said in that letter that had made Gary so mad? What had he seen in her that had made snatch the letter with such urgency? She was pretty sure he hadn't even read the whole thing. It was if when he opened it, he was searching for something. Obviously he had found it, but it was also obvious he didn't like what he found. If only he had left the letter on the desk. "We should follow him."

"Charlie," Grayson protested, his voice wavering. While he knew it wasn't right for them to spy on Gary, Charlie was a hard person to stand up to, "I don't think that's a good idea."

"You can stay here then," she decided for the both of them. "But I'm going to go find out. I just have to know."

As Charlie ran out of the room after Gary, Grayson didn't know what to do. He hated her stubborn attitude and he hated how she wouldn't just let things go. With Charlie it was you help her out or she'll just do it on her own. While Harmony and Morgan usually just let her do whatever she wanted (they never wanted to deal with her stubborn attitude), Grayson had always felt that he had the job to run after her and try to stop her. It had been something he had done for years without a thanks or a acknowledgement. Harmony had once asked him why he did that, but he had just shrugged it off saying he just hated seeing her hurt. That's why he had pushed so hard for Charlie to let him travel with her. He knew she would get herself into trouble, unable to say no and walk away.

So when she refused, he was a little hurt and confused. It was strange for him to think she wouldn't need him anymore. And when he had finally left on his own journey, it had just been weird without her there. Throughout his journey, he would always wonder how she was doing and hoping that she was safe. When she had showed up at his door today, he was beyond excited. But, standing here watching her chase after Gary only proved that she was the same and things were falling back to the way they were-and not for the good either. He knew she would only get hurt by whatever she learned from spying on Gary, and when she did get hurt, he seemed to always be the one who had to pick up the pieces for her.

"You owe me, Charlie," he uttered under his breath as he, for what felt like the millionth time, followed after her.


	12. I've Got A Secret

_I've got a secret that tears up my soul_

_and keeping it hidden has taken its toll_

_I can't tell the truth cause he might turn away_

_so I'll keep this secret it's better that way._

With her Leafeon resting on the floor in front of her, Ruby sat in a beat up office chair, slowly spinning side to side. It was clear by the small tears and scratches in the chair that it had been well worn. Resting her hand on a small tear on the arm of the chair, she began to pick at it, widening the tear that had been there.

_It's just like me. _

She was much older now compared to the kid she had once been. And as she had grown, she had received tears and scratches in her life that made her, well, her. Like the chair she was sitting in, she hadn't bothered to try and repair the scratches, nor was she ever able to get a new life. She had tried to escape her current life situation many times in an attempt to start new, but she never could truly escape. The memories like the ones connected to the chair followed her everywhere she went, taunting her of what she had so stupidly given up.

When she had arrived in Viridian, she had originally come here in search for information about her daughter's whereabouts. Within an hour everything changed. Now, she didn't know what she wanted anymore. Was she even still searching for Charlotte or closure for what had happened? Charlotte wasn't even technically Charlotte anymore; she was named Charlie. Had he really moved on so quickly? Changing their daughter's name so he could pretend what had happened between them never actually happened? That she no longer existed? What she did know was that he had done what she remembered him always doing: putting on a brave face and bottling it up so he could move on with life.

Twisting the chair, she made it so she faced the main door. After coming to visit Gary to apologize for her accusations, he had asked her to stay. When she had agreed, he had taken her to a room that he said he hadn't entered since the day he received the training school. For hidden behind the mahogany wood door was Ash's old office. This is where Ruby now found herself, the door shut and only the light sitting on the desk, its bulb starting to fade.

With the minimal light she had been given, she had closed and opened some drawers as quietly as she could, in hopes she would find some information. As luck would have it, she found pictures buried beneath unimportant looking papers. When she found the pictures, she thanked whatever god there was that Gary hadn't found them. For if he had, it would be opening up a world she preferred to keep hidden from him.

Picking up one of the pictures in her hand, she held it delicately in her hands, tracing the outline of the figures with her fingers. They had taken Charlotte to the fair, this outing being the first time in a while they'd spent time together as a family-if you could even call what they had that. Despite Ruby's protests, Ash had gone and spoiled Charlotte by buying her sweets and taking her on rides as many times as she wanted. He could never say no to her. And instead of making her walk, he had carried her on his shoulders the entire time. As they were heading toward the exit, they came across one of those booths where you could take your photo. Before she could say no, Ash had dragged her into the booth with Charlotte and him.

"_Ash," she had groaned in annoyance, rolling her eyes, "this is stupid. We're too old for this." _

"_Lighten up, Rubes," he teased her. Setting Charlotte between them, he proceeded to push the START button. When the theme selection for the pictures appeared on the screen, he turned to her. "Now what do we want?" _

_She recalled looking at the themes with him, trying her best to seem interested and involved in the selection. As she glanced over them, for reasons unknown to her, the pictures with the filmstrip border caught her interest._

"_That one," she stated, clicking it before Ash could say anything. Although more boring compared to the other themes, it was simple, an adjective she wish she could apply to her relationship with Ash. "So what are we going to do?" _

"_Whatever we want," Ash shrugged. The fun of these photo booths was being spontaneous. They were meant to be candid, not planned. "You ready?" _

_Nodding, Ruby quickly tried to come up with something while the screen counted down from three. _

The results of that photo booth adventure were now sitting on the desk and resting in her hand.

The one in her hand was a filmstrip with pictures of various goofy poses Ash and her had tried to come up with on the fly. In the picture on the bottom, Ash had even given Charlotte bunny ears after she had finally looked at the camera, having spent the last three pictures staring at something on the floor. Placing the strip back onto the table, she proceeded to pick up the next one.

It was clear by the way they sat in the picture that this could be considered a real family picture. In between them, Charlotte leaned on Ash's lap in the middle of laughing after he had proceeded to tickle her. She had her eyes slightly shut as she flailed wildly. Above her, Ash was smiling, his face reflecting that of someone who genuinely cared and loved her. And like he always did, he wore his hat backwards. Next to them, Ruby was surprised to see the her in the picture laughing and smiling as she joined in on the tickle attack against Charlotte. While she knew that this picture was somewhat cheesy and over the top in its "aww" factor, it was Ruby's only evidence that they had at one time been a happy group of three. That what they had tried to work together to achieve was actually working.

Finally, picking up the last picture with her hand, she felt a greater rush of emotions bubble up inside her. In the final picture, Ash had used one of his hands to cover Charlotte's eyes as he kissed her. While they attempted for the other pictures to be candid, this one was truly a spur of the moment. Before the final picture had been taken, Ruby had found herself drawn to Ash's face after she had observed her daughter's carefree smile. Noticing her looking at him, he had flicked his eyes to the screen, smiled at her, and then covered Charlotte's eyes as he leaned forward. The action had caught her off guard, but it didn't take long for her to react as she started to kiss him back.

So what had happened? What had changed about their relationship that made these pictures unbelievable? She had loved him; or at least she knew some part of her had. So where had they gone wrong? That answer was buried in the back of her mind with all the memories of raising Charlotte.

"Ruby!" she heard Gary yell as he slammed the door opened and stormed in his Umbreon at his side.

In a frantic rush, she scrambled to grab the pictures and conceal them before he could get even the slightest glance. Luckily, he hadn't noticed the pictures, but that didn't mean she was safe yet. His face was full of anger and he was carrying a piece of paper in his hand like it was the most important thing to him. When he reached the desk where she was sitting, his blue eyes threw daggers at her as he slammed the piece of paper on the desk with his palm.

"Gary?"

She made sure to not sound accusatory, for fear he would suddenly explode in anger at her. As his eyes bared his eyes at her, she could hear him breathing through his teeth. Unlike before, though, she wasn't about to let herself get scared by Gary. She had only been scared before because Gary never got angry with her when they were kids. Now, she knew better and knew she could hold her ground against him if she needed to.

"Cut the crap, Ruby," he snapped at her. As much as he wanted to get angry with her and yell at her, hew knew that wasn't going to get him the answers he wanted. If he wanted Ruby to tell him the truth, he would have to approach this rationally so she didn't run away again. Since Ash was no longer around, she was his only way of every knowing what happened between them. So, as he stared back into her amber eyes that were filled with confusion, he took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down, readjusting his tone. "Look. Ruby, just tell me what happened."

"What?" she shot back at him. He wasn't making sense. First of all, she had no idea why he was even mad, and secondly, she had no idea what the letter was all about. Obviously it was the source of his anger, but he had yet to explain what about it peeved him so. "What are you even talking about, Gary?"

"I know who Charlie's mother is, Ruby." He kept his eyes glued to her face, waiting for any reaction. When she didn't say anything, however, he was forced to say the words for them. Instead of saying anything, though, he shoved the letter towards her and pointed to a specific paragraph. "He told me. It's you, Ruby."

Glancing at where Gary was pointing, Ruby began to read the paragraph. When she did, her face instantly paled. The letter was from Ash and he had told Gary that she was Charlotte's mother. Her secret was out, and she now had to face what would come next.

"Gary," she uttered, biting her lip as he glanced over at him. "I...I'm sorry. I wasn't going to say anything, but then you talked me into staying here and…"

"Ruby," he called her name, stopping her in her speech. "Just tell me what happened," he pleaded with her trying his best to stay calm. It was proving a lot harder than he had planned, though. "Please."

"It-it was 11 years ago," she started, her voice shaking in fear. She wanted to tell him the entire story, but it was going to be hard. "I ran into him at the Indigo Plateau. His friend had taken him out to celebrating winning some tournament. When I ran into him, it was later in the night so we were both kind of drunk. I hadn't meant to drink that much, but…yeah."

Gary didn't know why, but the fact that Ash and Ruby weren't exactly in the right state of mind when it had happened made it a little easier to accept. Since it had happened that way, he knew they hadn't intentionally gone behind his back and done this. It was a stupid decision, but an accident nonetheless.

"I had just broken up with my boyfriend so, my friend wanted to take me out to get my mind off of him and she had casually mentioned that when she found out I knew Ash. He kept asking me if I was okay and telling me I was lying when I would tell him I was fine. "I know you, Ruby," he kept saying. "You're not okay." So finally, I cracked and he and I went somewhere else to talk. It was just like the way things always used to be. Me having some problem and him being there to comfort me."

Gary nodded to acknowledge that he was still listening. He didn't blame Ash for doing what he did, knowing that if he himself had ran into Ruby, he would have done the same thing for her.

"We headed back to my apartment to talk and ended up drinking a bit more. Apparently, it was enough to obscure my judgment because the next thing I knew was I told him that I really missed him and then we were leaning forward. I was a bit shocked at first, but it didn't take long before the initial shock melted away and I deepened it. I'm sure you guess what happened after that…"

"Yeah," Gary replied, no emotion in his voice. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what had happened next.

"Right. Things only got worse when we woke up the next morning and realized what had happened. I don't think I'd ever seen him so emotionalyl distraught before."

_When she had woken up, he was sitting on the edge of the bed with his hands in his head._

"_Ash?" Ruby called, hugging the sheets close to her body. _

_When he heard her call him name, he suddenly looked up and turned back toward her. _

"_Ruby! I'm so sorry… I was stupid, I'm sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen," he rambled on, not knowing what to say. When he had woken up and figured out where he was and what had happened, his heart had been set into a racing panic. He couldn't believe what he had done. _

"_Ash…" she tried again. He ignored her, continuing to ramble on as he hopped off the bed and began to grab his clothes off the floor. _

_Glancing at the clock, his widened in fear. "It's 9:30? I told Brock I'd meet him back at the center last night," he told her as he hopped around, trying to pull his jeans on. Grabbing his phone out of his pocket he saw that he had five missed calls. "Shit! Brock and Misty are going to kill me! Misty's going to kill me… she's going to kill me."_

"_Ash we need to talk about this." She watched him as he grabbed his t-shirt and threw it over his head and pulled it on. "Ash, are you even listening to me?" _

"_I'm sorry, Ruby," he apologized. Just then his phone rang again, its shrilling noise towering over their voices. Flipping it open, he proceeded to try and reason with a very frazzled Brock. "I'm on my way. I'm sorry okay?" _

_In a fit of frustration, Ruby grabbed the covers to conceal herself as she hopped off the bed and proceeded to pick up her own clothing from the floor. While she waited for Ash to finish talking on the phone she redressed before sitting on the end of the bed. _

"_Ruby," he called her name as he closed his phone. When she looked at him, she could see pain and fear in his eyes as he tried to figure out what to say to her. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't seem to come up with the right words to say. All he could do was continue to apologize, "I'm so sorry." _

"_Just go, Ash," she told him, some bitterness in her voice. "You're friends are waiting for you. We'll just pretend this never happened." _

"_Okay." _

"Little did I know that trying to forget what happened wouldn't be possible. It was about a month later when I started getting really sick. I thought maybe I had gotten the flu or something because it was going around my work at the time. When I went to the doctor, though, he told me that it was morning sickness and that I was pregnant."

"Did you tell Ash?" Gary asked.

Ruby shook her head. "No. I knew it was him, but I couldn't do it. I was too afraid. Besides, I had no way of contacting him. I didn't know where he was or how to even find him."

"Did you tell anyone? Ruby you know you could have called me."

"I thought about it," she admitted, closing her eyes for a second, "but I thought you would be mad once you figured out that it was Ash who was the father. I even contemplated calling Ms. Ketchum, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I didn't tell anyone for about three months, but after it was no longer possible to hide, I told my friend Sarah. She let me live with her so that I could save money to pay for the hospital bills."

"Where did your friend live?" Gary inquired out of curiosity.

"She lived in Saffron. That's where I learned about Pokemon Contest and started participating in them so I could earn some extra money," Ruby informed him. Her friend Sarah, who had done a few contests herself, had pushed her to enter a contest after seeing Ruby battle with her Leafeon. Knowing she needed some extra money, she suggested her friend enter a contest. "I ended up doing very well. Turns out, I'm quite the natural. Anyways, I was able to save up enough money so that by the time Charlotte was born, I moved out of Sarah's apartment and bought one for us in Viridian."

Interrupting her once again, Gary posed another question. "How'd you pick Charlotte?" So long as he kept asking Ruby questions, he knew that he could get her to keep talking and he could combat the bits of pain he was feeling. So long as he was distracted, he wouldn't dwell on what had happened between his two friends. "It's a pretty name. I really like it. Suites her well, too."

"Uh, thanks," Ruby sheepishly replied, blushing a bit at his compliment. "I wish I had some special story behind why I named her that, but I don't. I picked it out because I liked the sound of it. Although she always went by Charlotte Hamilton, on her birth certificate, I put Charlotte Elizabeth Ketchum and put Ash's name down."

For a second, Ruby smiled to herself before continuing on.

"She was so adorable Gary," she found herself reminiscing. "She didn't have a whole lot of hair, but you could see the reddish brown color in them, and her eyes were just like his. They were this dark shade of brown, almost a chestnut color, and they were big. When they gave her to me, I fell in love the second she wrapped her little finger around mine. I thought about giving her up for adoption, but after that, I couldn't do it."

For the first time since he had marched into the office, Gary smiled, but there was still some pain behind his smile. He had always cared deeply for Ruby, and had always imagined himself one day marrying her and starting a family. It was a far-fetched idea, but as Ruby described her first look at Charlotte, he couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if it had been him like he always hoped. Instead of Ash's brown eyes, he hoped she would have gotten his blue ones. Her facial features would have been Ruby, but her personality, he hoped, would have been him. But instead, she was a mixture of both Ash and Ruby in both personality and looks.

"Things were a little rough at first, but eventually, I got a job at that old diner here and I met some nice people who offered to watch her while I worked. Plus, I still did contests and battles on the sides since the pay wasn't as good as I would have hoped. Before I knew it, a year had gone by and she was turning one." Tired from sitting the way she was, Ruby took a second to readjust herself as she pulled her knees to her chest. "One day I was carrying her and she started saying, "da da." She kept saying it, and that's when I decided that she deserved the chance to have her dad in her life. Plus, I didn't want her to be like Ash. I remember it was always hard for him not having a dad around, so I wanted to give him the chance to at least meet her, you know?"

Gary nodded. "How'd you find him?"

"I didn't know where to start or even how to find him, so I just sat down one evening and started calling every Pokemon Center in Kanto. Eventually, I got lucky and he happened to be staying in the one in Celadon City. That was probably one of the hardest phone calls I ever made."

"_Um…hi, this is Ash," Ash hesitantly answered the phone. When he had asked Nurse Joy who was calling for him, she had told him she didn't know but that they had said it was really important. "Who's calling?"_

_While he waited for the caller to answer, he took the time to flip on the video screen. When he did, his mouth gaped open and he almost dropped the phone. "Ruby?" _

"_Hey Ash. I'm glad I finally found you," she told him, trying to make some small talk. "How are you?" _

"_I'm good. Ruby, is something wrong?" he asked. Ruby was the last person he would expect to call him, so it worried him a bit. He hoped everything was okay and that she wasn't in trouble._

"_No. But I need to tell you something," she explained, averting her eyes from the screen for a second. Just as she was about to tell him, there was a crying in the background. _

"_Is that a baby?" Ash asked, puzzled by the sudden noise. _

"_Uh yeah. One second, okay? I'll be right back so don't hang up." _

"_I wont." _

_He was still left confused, wondering why she had tracked him down and called him. Secondly, he was confused as to why she had a baby. After some consideration, he figured she was just babysitting. _

"_Okay, I'm back!" she announced, sitting back down in front of the phone. This time she had Charlotte sitting on her knee as she balanced the phone in the crook of her neck and used her hands to bounce the baby on her knee. _

"_She's really cute," Ash smiled, taking in Charlotte's baby little button nose and chubby cheeks. They kind of reminded him of his baby pictures, except he had crazy jet- black hair where she had curly brownish red hair. "Hi," Ash waved at the little girl before flicking his eyes back to Ruby. "Are you babysitting her?" _

"_No," Ruby shook her head, puzzling Ash even more. "This is my daughter, Charlotte."_

"_You're daughter?" Ash's eyes widened in shock, almost bursting out of their sockets. When had Ruby gone and had a kid? Pressing his face closer to the glass, he inspected Charlotte some more. With the new knowledge Ruby had given him, he could see the Ruby like features he had missed before "How old is she?"_

"_She's one," Ruby answered. _

_Taking notice of Ash on the screen, Charlotte's curiosity rose as she leaned forward and tried to grab at the screen with her little hands. _

"_Da da da da," Charlotte cooed, as she wiggled around on Ruby's lap. At Charlotte's little slip, Ruby tightened her grip on the phone. _

_Laughing, Ash used his free hand to nervously rub the back of his neck. "Sorry, Charlotte. I don't understand baby talk." Ruby sighed in relief that Ash being rather dense at times had worked to her advantage. "So she's one, huh? You weren't pregnant when I ran into you" _

"_No I wasn't." _

"_Right, so when did this happen?" While he waited for Ruby to answer him, he tried to figure it out himself. _She wasn't pregnant when I ran into her, but if Charlotte's one, that means that Ruby got pregnant about twenty months ago. That would put it at…at…_Ash felt himself gulp in fear as he finally figured it out. _…the night we ran into each other._ "Ruby, she's…" _

"_Yours," Ruby finished for him. Ash stayed transfixed on Charlotte, though, not hearing a single word Ruby had said. "Ash, Charlotte's your daughter." _

_This is when all life and color drained from Ash's face and the phone fell from his hands, hitting the machine with a loud thud. This wasn't what was supposed to happen. They were supposed to forget it ever happened. He couldn't even form the words he needed to say, his mouth dry and agape. He had a daughter; a one-year old daughter he never even knew about. _

"_I wanted you to know about her, and I would love for you two to meet so she at least knows who her father is. I understand though if you are busy traveling or don't want to. I just wanted you to at least know." _

"_No," he quickly blurted, scrambling to pick up the phone. In that split second as he looked at his daughter sitting on Ruby's lap, he made the decision that his daughter needed him more. He could always travel and battle in tournaments again, but he wasn't going to get another chance to meet his daughter. "Where are you?" _

"_I live in Viridian." _

"_Ash? Who are you talking to?" another girl's voice drifted through the center. Looking the direction of the voice, Ash started to panic when he saw Misty walking down the hallway. _

"_Hold on, Mist!" he yelled to her before turning back to Ruby. _"_I'm sorry. I have to go," he urged, trying to push the conversation to an end. "But I want to see her, Ruby. I'll leave tonight and be in Viridian tomorrow. Meet me at the Pokemon Center! Bye!" _

_After that, the screen went black and Ash disappeared. _

Gary had always wondered why Ash had suddenly gone missing during one of the biggest tournaments he'd ever been in. It wasn't like him to chicken out and quit, especially without saying anything to anyone. After he had learned about Charlie, he was able to uncover why Ash left, but he still always wondered how he had found out. Now he knew that Ruby had tracked him down and called him. Despite these questions being answered, he was still curious as to how nobody ever found him if he was in Viridian the entire time, a city right near Pewter and Pallet. Also, how had the people of Viridian not recognized him when the news stations had reported his shocking disappearance after he had been the crowd favorite to win?

"Just like he told me, he called the next day from the Pokemon Center in Viridian to tell me he was here. I won't lie; I didn't think he'd actually come. But he was there. I could tell he was disappointed that I didn't bring Charlotte with me, but she was napping and I didn't want to wake her up. The first thing he wanted to do when we got there was go see her, so I told him where her room was and cleaned up the kitchen while I gave him some time. A little after he went in there, she started crying, so I headed toward her room. When I got there, he was sitting in the rocking chair with his Pikachu peering over his shoulder and her fast asleep in his arms. It was as if she knew who he was, Gary. I can't explain how or why, but she just seemed to know. That's when he told me that there was no need to worry because everything would be okay."

"His friend Dawn always says that," Gary interjected. When she was a bit confused at first as to what he was referring to, he clarified. "The no need to worry bit. It was like her go to solution for everything."

"Oh. I guess that explains why he said it. I'd never heard him say it before so I figured he must have gotten it from someone."

"Yep. Sorry, though…"

"It's okay. But anyways, he got a job as an assistant at the Viridian City Gym and we kind of just went from there. It was hard at first, but every moment of free time he had was spent with Charlotte. I think he was trying to make up for all the time he missed. I was actually kind of impressed with how great he was with her. After a while, things started to smooth out and we were able to work together and got a system going. It was like he was never even gone before now."

Grabbing the pictures she had tried to hide from Gary earlier, Ruby placed them on the desk and slid them toward him. "I found these in the drawer. She was three at the time.I'm surprised he kept them for so long. I just love them, though. I think it's because, for once, we actually looked like a family. It showed that all the effort Ash and I were putting forth to make sure Charlotte lived a happy life were working. Things had started off rocky and unplanned, but this picture just feels like that point in a story when everything comes together. It's that goal you've finally reached after all your hard work."

Gary quickly glanced over the one where Ruby and Ash kissed and continued onto the others. He felt himself chuckle a bit at the strip of pictures where, for most of them, Charlie was looking at the ground. It reminded him of when he and Ash were kids and how Ash was always distracted by something else that was going on. The picture of the two of them laughing with Charlie led him to understand why Ruby had looked at the pictures the way she did. While Ash was the kind of person who followed his heart and had faith in things you couldn't see, Ruby was like Gary in the fact that she choose mind over intuition. She always wanted proof. Proof that what she was doing was working, or proof that something was true. So, for her to look at the photo as proof that what her and Ash were doing for Charlie was working, made a lot of sense. It looked like your standard family picture where people would look at it and comment that they looked happy together.

"But you left, Ruby." What troubled Gary was that what Ruby had said contradicted what she had done. If she loved Charlie and felt things were working, why had she suddenly left? "What made you change your mind?"

At this question, Ruby frowned as her eyes started to well up a bit with tears. She knew this question was coming, her decision something that had haunted her for years. Every day she questioned herself, wondering if what she had done was really the right thing? She had even contemplated going back at times, but as time grew longer, so did her fear.

"After that day, I realized I was falling in love with him and it scared me."

"Why's falling in love with someone so scary?"

While Gary never actually thought he would fall in love, if it happened, he knew he wouldn't be afraid.

"Because we're best friends, Gary. Best friends aren't supposed to fall it love," she answered, her voice rough and low. "It's so cliché."

"Ash did," Gary simply stated. Ash had fallen in love with Misty, and maybe, he had even fallen in love with Ruby. Plus, Gary was pretty sure he was falling in love with Ruby. "It's not as crazy as you think, Ruby."

"I know," she sighed. "But even though he tried so hard for Charlotte, I knew this wasn't what he wanted. He had a life before this and, as I later found out, he was even pretty close to achieving his dream. He didn't want to be cooped up in a house; that wasn't Ash. He wanted to be out on the road again with his friends. He was just too nice to say anything and it was only reinforced after he took me out dinner one night."

_After having taken Ruby out to a nice dinner, they had gone to the park to enjoy the nice weather and talk. Finding themselves sitting on a bench in silence, Ash finally spoke up. _

"_Ruby, I need to ask you something," Ash told her, his voice a bit shaky and unsure. _

"_What is it?" Reaching into his pocket, Ash pulled out a little black box and flipped it open. When Ruby saw the ring sitting inside it, her eyes widened to the size of saucers. "Ash…what are you doing?" _

"_Ruby, just hear me out. I know things haven't been exactly the way you would have hoped for them to be, but we've been able to work through them. Charlotte's been able to live with her mom and dad and she's happy; we're finally happy. I really care about you and Charlotte's been the best thing that's happened to me. I just want to do the right thing for us, and I think becoming a real family and getting a really house would be good." _

"_But Ash, you don't want that. I can see it," Ruby protested. _

"_Yes I do, Ruby," he tried to convince her. He really did care about them and although it wasn't whom he imagined himself proposing to, he still wanted it to make Ruby and Charlotte happy._

"_Ash, do you actually love me?" Ruby questioned him knowing better. _

"_Of course I do!" he cried. _

"_You know what I mean, Ash" she pushed him to understand.  
><em>

"_Ruby I…" _

"_It's okay, Ash. You can be honest with me. In fact, you need to. You've bottled everything up for Charlotte and I since the day you got here. I know you care about us, trust me I would never doubt that. You've done so much for both me and for Charlotte, and nothing you do will ever change the way Charlotte feels about you. You've been an amazing father to her and she loves you SO much." Ruby bit her lip, contemplating if she should continue on with what she wanted to say. Since she was pushing Ash to be honest, she figured she should be honest, too. "I love you, too, Ash, but I'm not convinced you're thinking about yourself in this. I want you to be happy, too. And if that means I'm not the person you love and want to spend the rest of your life with, then I understand." _

_Ash hung his head in shame, unable to deny what Ruby had said. He loved her because she was his friend and because she was the mother of his child, but he didn't love her like he loved Misty. He had tried to make himself love her more than a friend, and at one point he just might have, but he couldn't force himself to love someone he didn't._

"_I'm sorry Ash." _

"_No. It's okay," he assured her. To back up his claim some more, he leaded forward and gave her a small hug. "I understand. I just thought it would be the right thing to do." _

"_That's all that matters to me, Ash." _

_Ash weakly nodded his head. As much as he would have loved to stay with Ruby and Charlotte, it wasn't him. For now at least, he preferred to constantly be traveling with little home visits in between. He missed the road and he really missed his friends. He had been hiding from them for two years and was long overdue for an explanation. That's when he made the decision that he would try to start traveling again. Unlike before Charlotte was born, he wouldn't be gone for a whole year, instead coming back as often as he could to see her. In addition to that, he would send back some of his earnings so that Ruby wouldn't have to worry about paying for things herself. _

"He told me he was going to start traveling again at the end of the month, but I mistakenly thought that meant he had no plans of coming back; that he was done. I didn't want to live in Viridian anymore either because it was too far away from where most of the contest were held and I liked change every now and then. So, I decided that I would make it easier for him and move out with Charlotte before he left. That way, if Charlotte ever learned what happened, she wouldn't hate Ash for leaving. I could pretend it was the other way around. Of course, like everything else, that didn't go as planned. I had all my stuffed pack and I was getting ready to leave when he came back from work early. When he saw my suitcase and Charlotte in my arms, he freaked out."

"_Ruby?" Ash called her name in a questioning tone. She was standing with her back to the front door and she had a packed suitcase in her hand. In the other she was holding Charlotte, who was fast asleep on her shoulder. Confused by her actions, he pushed for an explanation. "What are you doing?" _

_As he waited for her answer, he scanned the room for any sign that could lead him to an explanation._

"_Ash!" she yelped, practically jumping out of her skin. Halting in her actions, she turned around to face him. "You're not supposed to be home yet," she accused him. _

"_I got off early," he softly replied, the information seeming meaningless to him. Not daring to look at her face for fear it might show something he didn't want to see, he kept his eyes fixed on Charlotte's peaceful face. "Ruby, what's going on? Why's Charlotte wearing her coat?"_

"_Ash, I can explain," she tried to defend herself, having been caught. Despite what she had told him, she didn't know what to say or how to explain what she was doing. It had quickly become obvious that she wasn't going to be able to make a clean get away like she had planned. Just as she was about to speak, though, her cell phone vibrated to indicate she had a new message. Flipping it open, she quickly read the message before closing the phone and slipping it back into her pocket. "I have to go now, Ash." _

"_Go? Ruby, where are you going?" _

_She could hear his voice grown in agitation as she continued to leave him in the dark. It was the same tone he used when he was scared and needed answers, forceful, yet with an undertone of uncertainty. He knew she sometimes had to travel to compete in contests, but she always told him in advanced if she had to go somewhere. Plus, she never took Charlotte with her. This sudden departure seemed spontaneous and she had yet to attribute it to work. _

"_Ruby…" _

_His eyes darkened in color, a sign that an emotion similar to anger was on its way. He didn't understand what was going on. _

"_I'm making it easier for you. I'll take Charlotte with me so you don't have to worry about her when you start traveling again."_

_Without another explanation, she left the room, pulling the suitcase behind her. Standing in the middle of the room, Ash stared into space as he absorbed everything. When the reality of what it was she was exactly doing hit him, he felt his heart break as he tried his best to keep the emotions he was feeling at bay. With a sudden realization, he bolted after her. When he caught up to her she was just getting ready to open the door. _

"_Ruby, wait! Don't go!" he yelled as he halted a few feet away from her. At the sound of his voice, Ruby let her hand fall to her side as she turned around to face him. "Ruby, please don't take her from me." _

"_Ash, you can't take a toddler with you while you travel. You can come visit her whenever you want, but she'll understand Ash. She's a strong kid and she'll always know you love her," Ruby tried to console him. Every minute she was forced to stand there looking at his pain stricken face made it that much harder for her to leave. "I'm not going to let her forget you, Ash." _

"_Ruby, please," he pleaded, his voice cracking a bit. At this point he could no longer hold back the tears that he had fought so hard to prevent. "You can't take her from me." _

"_Ash, you don't have to be the hero and do the right thing to make everyone happy. I'll take Charlotte with me and you can go on your merry way without her image of you ever being tainted." _

"_Ruby, that's not what I meant. I still want us to live together, but I want to travel, too," he tried to explain to her. He hoped that by clearing up what she misunderstood, she wouldn't leave. "I'll come and visit as often as I can and I'll send money back for you two. When I finally reach my goal, I'll come back here and live with you two." _

"_Ash, you don't love me like that, remember?" she reminded him. "What are you going to say to Charlotte when you do meet that person you love? You're not going to have her live with us are you?" _

"_I…" _

"_Ash!" Ruby yelled at him, annoyed by his incompetence. "You can't bring some other woman in here and expect Charlotte to understand. What are you going to tell her, Ash? I'm her mother but you never loved me, but you love this woman who's not? Grow up, Ash! You can't do that." _

"_I know that, Ruby!" he yelled, pulling at his hair in frustration. He didn't know what to do. His seemingly flawless plan was suddenly filled with numerous holes. His voice eventually died down to almost a whisper, but quickly grew in volume. "I know that. But what else am I supposed to do? I don't want to live in a different home than her. I want to live with her!" _

_At the sudden increase of volume, Charlotte started to wake up, disturbed by the arguing. When she woke up, she saw Ash staring back at her with a distressed look on her face. Even though she was still small and didn't quite understand what was going on, she could sense that her dad was upset about something. _

"_Daddy, why you sad?" she asked him. Her voice was full of innocence, naïve to what was going on around her. _

_Ash frowned at Charlotte, not sure what to tell her. _

"_Ash, it can't work like that," Ruby sighed, rubbing her head in frustration. This was ten times harder than she had anticipated. She didn't understand what he couldn't grasp about the situation. While it might work out in the beginning, it would be awkward, and the minute Ash found someone he actually loved and wanted to get married to, he would be forced to move out. That would be harder for Charlotte to deal with than it would be for her to grow up most of her life with her dad visiting. She was still pretty young so she wouldn't remember that they used to live together, instead always thinking her dad traveled and then came to visit every now and then. "Look, you're more than welcome to come visit her till your hearts content, but we can't live together. It won't work." _

_Glancing back at Ruby, he gave her one last pleading look. "Please, Ruby. Don't leave. Stay." _

_Normally, Ruby tried her best to keep her anger in check, especially with Charlotte present. But Ash's inability to understand what would be best for Charlotte was ticking her off. _

"_Fine!" she snapped at him, causing him to flinch at her sudden burst of anger. As Ruby marched toward him, he suddenly became a bit terrified. "Have it your way, Ash," she yelled some more, this time placing Charlotte in his arms. "You can have her and I'll be the grownup for us. I'll be in Saffron." _

_After that, Ash held Charlotte close as he watched Ruby walk out, the door slamming behind her. _

"_Where did mommy go?" Charlotte asked, nestling her head in the nook of Ash's shoulder. "She go twain?" _

"_Yeah, Charlotte," Ash answered despite the shock he was experiencing. "Mommy went to train." _

"If I knew he wasn't ever going to show up, I would have never left," Ruby explained, her voice cracking a bit as small tears rolled down her cheek. "I knew I shouldn't have left, but it was the only thing I could think of. I just wanted what was best for Charlotte."

Sensing her sadness, Gary stood up and walked over to Ruby, wrapping his arms around her in an attempt to calm her down. "Shh," he whispered, rubbing her back as she cried some more. "Come on Rubes. It's not your fault. You know how Ash is. He always lived in this fantasy world where he could magically fix everything so everyone's happy and things work out. He never thought about what's actually practical."

Looking up at him, she stuttered through her words, moving her hands in grand gestures. "But… I just left her there. I left my own daughter, Gary," she cried some more, her shoulders starting to shake a bit. "Moms don't do that!"

"Ruby, you're not a horrible mom. While I think you should have just taken her-Ash was being stupid in my opinion- you put Charlotte first and thought about what was best for her and not what would make you happy. You knew she needed Ash and that he wasn't going to let you take her without a fight. So, instead of dragging her through what could have turned into a nasty custody fight, you put your image on the line and saved Ash's. So, in a way, you pulled an Ash move and by protecting him, you did what you needed to."

"I guess," she squeaked, although she didn't really believe him. "I always wanted to go back and find her, but it took me seven years to gain the courage to do so. That's why I came here. I was going to go find Ash and just talk to him. When I got here, though, I found you instead and I found out he was dead. Dead, Gary! HE DIED!"

By now Gary's shirt was drenched in Ruby's tears as she was finally letting out everything she had bottled up for years.

"That's why I flipped out on you. I knew I couldn't tell you the truth, but all I could think about was Charlotte. With him gone, I had no idea where she was, if she was okay, or who she was living with and it scared me. But you were right, Gary. I just ran away like I always do."

"That's not true, Ruby. You have to believe me when I tell you that it's not true," he tried to convince her. Knowing the whole story and why she had left, he felt terrible for everything he had said to her. If he had just kept calm and rationally discussed it with her, maybe she would have said something earlier. "I'm sorry I accused you of that, and I'm sorry I told you to run away, but that's not what you did. I was wrong. You started facing your problems the minute you took responsibility for Charlotte and the minute you called Ash and told him. Ruby, you could have just run away and let him go through his life without ever knowing because telling him was too stressful, but you didn't. It took you awhile, but you faced your fears and told him. And because of that, Charlotte was at least able to get to know him before he died."

"But what do I do now? He's gone and I have no idea where she is or even where to start looking."

Even though she was in a rather vulnerable position, Gary couldn't help but laugh, resorting to his whole ways. "I can help you with that," he told her, the familiar air of cockiness and confidence in his voice. "She's here in Viridian, Ruby."

"What?" Ruby gasped, lifting her head up to look at Gary.

Her eyes were red and puffy from crying, and some of her makeup had smeared a bit on her face. Despite these minor flaws, Gary found himself smiling a bit at her. Even looking like a mess, he still found her beautiful.

Nodding, Gary threw her a smile, grabbing the letter off the desk. "She was in my office before I came storming in here. She's the one who gave me this letter, and I know where you can find her."

"Really?" Ruby asked, her heart leaping in excitement. She had waited years for this, and after much deliberation she decided she could never forgive herself if she passed up the opportunity to meet her daughter after coming all this way. "What does she look like? Is she okay? Is she happy?"

"One question at a time, Roo Roo," Gary laughed, causing Ruby to scowl a bit at the dreaded nickname. "I think it might be wise to first ask Charlie if she wants to meet you so you don't just spring this on her and freak her out."

"That makes sense," Ruby agreed, slowly nodding her head. "I wouldn't want to mess things up for her."

"Secondly, if she agrees and things go smoothly, I want you to come to Pallet Town with me for Christmas. Ash asked me to take her there so she could meet Ms. Ketchum, and I think you are long overdue for a visit."

"Gary, I can't go back there," she stated. He may have convinced her to stay in Viridian until Charlotte returned, but he wasn't about to get her to go to Pallet. "It's not a good idea."

"Ruby, come on," he pleaded with her. This was one battle he wasn't going to let her win. "Ms. Ketchum and Gramps would be so happy and you'll get to meet some of Ash's friends."

As much as she was curious about the other people who had traveled with Ash, she was more scared of facing Ms. Ketchum. She hadn't seen the woman since she left Pallet when she was ten, she had been MIA for her son's funeral, and she was scared of what Ms. Ketchum would do once she found out that she was Charlotte's mother.

"It's not going to be as bad as you think," Gary tried to assure her. He was willing to do anything to get her to go to Pallet. When Ruby didn't answer, he tried a different route. "We need you Ruby."

"You need me? Why?"

"You're the only one who was with Ash after he disappeared. He may have talked to me later on, but you're the only one who knew what happened, what he did, and maybe even why he never contacted us," Gary explained.

"But I left after two years," she reminded him. "I don't know about anything after that."

"True, but it's something."

"But," she tried to protest, "what about Ash? Gary I can't go to Pallet and see all that. Part of me still loves him. It's too hard. "

"Hey, look at me," Gary commanded. Grabbing her hands he cupped them in his own as he started back at her. When Ruby looked up, her amber eyes met Gary's piercing blue ones. She could an intensity in them that indicated he was determined and would not take no for an answer. "It's been hard for everyone. Heck, five years later and I still have trouble sometimes. But we're all in the same boat, Ruby. Ms. Ketchum still puts a plate out for him and his friend Misty just goes and sits in his room for hours. We all miss him and it's still weird that he's not there, but we support each other and get through it just like we do every year."

Giving her hand a gentle squeeze, he threw in some final words.

"Its two days, Ruby. I have a feeling things will be different with Charlie around, too. Knowing Ms. Ketchum, once she finds out who Charlie is, she's going to throw a huge party and invite as many people as she can. Everyone will be so excited to meet her that there'll be no time to think about him like that. And Ash's friends will love you, especially May and Dawn since you do contests and are still a bit of a girly girl."

"Only two days?" Ruby repeated to make sure she had heard correctly. While she had no intention of going to Pallet, she knew that Gary wasn't going to let her say no without a fight.

"Two days. I promise."

"Okay."

OOOO

"Charlie? Charlie!" Grayson called out to his friend, trying to keep his voice low. "Charlie, please say something."

"She's my mom, Grayson," Charlie wavered through her sudden rush of emotions. "That's my mom in there."

Charlie had always wondered about her mom and why she had left and never returned. She had spent years envying her friends for having a relationship with their mothers that she never thought she would ever get. While Christina was nice to her and was everything Charlie could have hoped for in a mother, she wasn't her real mom. All her life nobody had told her more than a few things about her mom, and now, in a span of a half hour, she had gotten the whole story. All her questions had been answered and the woman she had been wrestling with herself over if she wanted to meet or not was sitting just on the other side of the door.

If Charlie wanted to, she could stand up and open the door to get her first look at her mom. But something held her back. She didn't understand why after all these years of longing to know the truth all she felt was confusion. She wasn't mad at her mom like she thought she would be, nor was she as happy as she thought she would be. She was lost, not knowing what to do next. What kind of relationship could she have with the woman she hadn't seen in seven years?

"Charlie, I'm sorry," Grayson, whispered, resting his hand on his friend's shoulder. As he looked down at the ground trying to think of what to say next, she startled him by suddenly standing up. "Hey, where are you going?"

"Home," she stated, her voice lacking any emotion whatsoever.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Grayson," she told him, but he was not convinced in the least. This only made him slightly angry, knowing that if she had just listened to him and not followed Gary like he had told her, she would have never found out. "I'm tired anyway. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay," he replied, his voice dying a bit. Despite what she said, knowing her, he knew she wasn't going home. He would give her some time to herself like he always did, but then he would go check on her. "See you tomorrow, Charlie."

OOOO

"If you're hungry, we can go grab some dinner. I'll call Charlie tonight and talk to her," Gary offered. "I need to anyways, considering I kind of left her hanging after I rushed out of the office. She probably thinks I'm crazy."

"Mmm," Ruby contemplated to herself, a small smile appearing on her face. "If she does, she's not exactly incorrect."

"Hey!"

"Come on. Let's go."

Standing up, Ruby collected the pictures from the desk and placed them back in the drawer she had found them in. Sliding it shut, she followed Gary toward the entrance, Umbreon and Leafeon following close behind. When he opened the door and walked out, he froze where he was. Curious as to what had caused him to stop, Ruby walked up next to him to see him staring at a boy who's back was facing them.

"Grayson?" Grayson turned around, a little surprised to see Gary standing there. While lost in his own world worrying about Charlie, he hadn't heard the door open. "What are you doing here?"

"Well," Grayson sighed, stuffing his hands into his pocket, "after you ran out of your office, Charlie followed you. She wanted to know what about her dad's letter had caused you to get mad, so she sat outside the door and…"

"Wait," Gary cut him off. "She heard everything we said?"

At this Ruby's stomach dropped. Her daughter had been outside the door listening the entire time. This wasn't how things were supposed to go.

"I tried to stop her, but she's too stubborn. She never listens to me," Grayson cried, throwing his hands up in the air as he defended himself. "I don't even know why I bother anymore."

"Where is she now?" Gary pressed Grayson to tell him.

"She said she was going home, but I know her better," he explained to them, calming down a bit. "Whenever she's upset or needs to think she goes to the playground in the old park. I guess her dad used to-"

Poor Grayson was ignored, his sentimental story suited for a different time and place.

"Ruby, you stay here and I'll talk to her," Gary instructed. Resting his hands on her shoulders, he looked her in the eyes. "It's going to be okay? No need to worry. Come on Umbreon."

After that he ran off to go find Charlie, leaving Grayson and Ruby behind.


	13. The Rival

**So, this is probably my favorite chapter so far. This is hopefully the chapter you were looking for about Gary and Charlie that's like the other ones with his friends. You also get to learn more about Charlie's life with Ash-hopefully it makes you smile, because let's face it, Ash wouldn't exactly be the ideal parent. Thanks again for reading, and I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

* * *

><p><em>I thought if I could touch this place or feel it<em>  
><em> This brokenness inside me might start healing<em>  
><em> Out here it's like I'm someone else<em>  
><em> I thought that maybe I could find myself<em>  
><em> If I could just come in I swear I'll leave<em>  
><em> Won't take nothing but a memory<em>  
><em> From the house that built me<em>

"_Daddy," Charlie called out to Ash, her tone of voice being one that indicated there was a question to follow, "why did Grayson's daddy move away?"_

_Sighing, Ash sat down at the table across from his daughter, trying to figure out what to say to her. Her friend Grayson had recently found out that his parents were getting divorced and his dad was moving out, so Charlie had been spending time with him to cheer him up. _

"_I don't know Charlie," he answered honestly. "Sometimes mommies and daddies have problems where the only way they fix them is living by themselves." _

"_Oh." It appeared to Ash that she seemed satisfied with the answer she had given him. As he went to stand up, however, her voice picked up again. "Is that what happened to you and mommy?" _

"_Yeah," Ash answered her, trying to prevent her from asking anything else. "Something like that." _

"_But Grayson said he gets to see his daddy," she protested. Ash had a feeling he knew what she would say next, and that made him weary. He wasn't ready to cross that bridge with Charlie just yet. "Why don't I get to see Mommy?" _

"_Charlie," he sighed, slumping back into his seat. As he looked at her face, he could see the intensity in her eyes as the little wheels in her brain turned, trying to figure it out. As much as he would love to talk about this with her another time, she had her mother's personality and wouldn't be satisfied until she had a worthy answer. "Mommy's on an adventure right now, but I promise one day she'll come back." _

All her life she had thought her mom to be on an adventure to some far away world, when, as far as Charlie knew, she had been in Saffron the entire time. She knew she shouldn't have followed Gary, but she wanted to know what had upset him. And then when she had deciphered what Gary was saying to the woman, she couldn't be pulled away. The entire story of her parents had been told and she had questions answered that she had wrestled with for years. While she didn't know everything about after her mom left, she had learned about the more important part. What had led her away from the room and not to her mom though, was the after effects of confusion and another set of questions needing to be answered.

She had always lived her little fantasy world where her parents started out happily together, got married and then had her before things changed. It turned out her fantasy world was far from accurate. While she didn't doubt her parents loved her, she couldn't help but label herself as an accident. Even though she was wanted, she was the unplanned result of stupid actions taken by two teenagers under the influence of alcohol. But what Gary had told her mom stuck with her. Her mom might have left, but she did it for her so that she wouldn't suffer. And by giving into her dad's wishes for her to be with him, she was able to get to know her dad before he passed away. Did that mean it was time for her to get to know her mom? Charlie didn't know. She didn't want to think about it anymore. So, to pass the time, she pulled out the letter regarding who Gary was.

_Charlie, _

_This is the most cocky, egotistical, self-centered and inconsiderate person you will meet in this list of people. So why are you meeting him? You're meeting him because despite what he was like in the past, he's changed. (He's still a bit egotistical and cocky at times, but that's his personality.) Anyways, we grew up in Pallet Town together, and he's one of my oldest friends. When we started out on our journeys, we deemed ourselves rivals and constantly competed with each other over who got the most badges, who caught the most Pokemon, and who had the best ones. (You name it we competed over it.) Regardless, I learned a lot from him and our rivalry pushed me to try my hardest and be the best I could be. Unlike me though, Gary gave up traveling so that he could follow in his grandfather's footsteps and become a researcher. That doesn't mean he's lost his battling skill. Even though I beat him once in Johto, he and his Umbreon have given me some memorable battles. So, if he gives you advice on battling, take it because he knows what he's talking about. But I'm getting off track. _

_I wanted you to meet Gary for another reason. In his letter I told him who your mother is since she grew up with Gary and I in Pallet. While I'm not sure if he would be able to help you find her, he can tell you a lot about her that I never could. In addition to that, I asked him take you to Pallet Town around Christmas time so you could meet the last person on the list. And trust me when I say that this person is someone you will definitely want to meet. For starters, she's the nicest (unless she's mad), most caring and giving woman I've ever met. She taught me so much and was there for me through the tough time just like I know she'll be there for you. So, for one last time, pull out the note card and read your next clue._

_Love, _

_Your Father _

As she sat at the top of the slide, hugging her knees to her chest, she heard the crackle of someone walking on the mulch. Looking up she spotted Gary and his Umbreon walking toward her. To her surprise, there was no trace of Ruby or Grayson.

"Hey there Charlie," he greeted her, keeping his distance so as not to unnerve her. "You're friend Grayson told me you'd be here."

"Okay."

"Okay? That's all you have to say to the great Gary Oak?" he mocked her a bit, trying to lighten the mood. "I guess your dad never taught you how to properly greet the elite."

Charlie just shrugged. This only caused Gary to frown at her as he took a few steps closer. When he was standing next to where she was sitting on the slide, he stopped and sighed. He really wanted to help Charlie, but he didn't know what to say to her. He may have known who she was before she knew who he was, but he barely knew her as a person. He had only just met her an hour ago. Plus, he was still trying to get over the after effects of finding out who her parents were. He thought knowing that she was the product of Ruby and Ash would make it easier to talk to her, but that only made it harder. Instead of dealing with one personality he had learned about over time, he was dealing with a mixture of the two. He had yet to figure out what part of her personality was Ruby and what part was Ash.

"Gary?" Charlie's voice pierced through his thoughts. Her voice was cautious and hesitant as if she wasn't sure if she should continue after that. When he looked up at her, he almost looked away, her resemblance of his two friends like a bright neon sign. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure. Ask me anything you want, Charlie."

"Why did he stay?" she asked him, the question a little different than what Gary was expecting. "It was never what he wanted-I was never what he wanted. He liked to travel and be free, not stuck in some boring house. He was going to leave, too, but he didn't."

"Because he loved you, Charlie. As long as I can remember, your dad has always had this thing about him where he had to try and fix everything so he could make everyone happy, even if it meant sacrificing what he wanted. He might have initially planned on returning to traveling, but he knew you needed him more."

Gary paused for a second before deciding to let Charlie in on a little secret.

"I don't know if he ever told you this, but his dad wasn't around when he was a kid, which is probably another reason why he cared so much about being there for you. His dad left to go on a Pokemon journey but, to my knowledge, he never came back. He knew what it was like to have a dad gone because of Pokemon training and he didn't want you to have to experience that too."

"He never told me that," Charlie replied, resting her chin on her knee. "But it makes a lot of sense."

"I'm glad. Anything else I can answer for you?"

Charlie just shook her head. She did have other questions, but she didn't feel like asking them right now.

They sat there for a few seconds, waiting for the other one to speak up first. Charlie just stared straight ahead, but out of the corner of her eye, she could see Gary studying her face. He was the only person who knew both of her parents, so he was probably still a little surprised. When the silence became unavoidable and Charlie wasn't asking any more questions, Gary was left to face the reason he had come here in the first place. He still didn't know what to say though.

"Charlie, I need to talk to you about something," Gary cautiously reached out to her. She turned her head toward him, her face reflecting one of knowing and dread. "Ruby, she's really worried about you after what happened."

Charlie simply nodded, choosing not to say anything.

"Your dad wants me to take you to Pallet Town for Christmas, and I invited Ruby so she could meet everyone, but she wants you to be comfortable with the idea. She won't go if you don't want her there." Patting Umbreon on the head, he continued on. "I really think you should meet her and she really wants to meet you, too. She really missed you while she was gone and now you have the chance to have a relationship with your mom. But, I can't decide for you, so it's ultimately in your hands what happens next."

"I don't know Gary," she told him in all honesty. "All my life I've wondered who she was and what happened between her and my dad. He always told me that she was on an adventure, so I would make up these elaborate stories about where she was and what she was doing. I always believed him when he said she would come back, so I dreamed about the day I would see her again and how happy I would be, and how she would give me a hug and things would be okay. Except I'm not happy like I thought I would be, but I'm not angry or mad either. I'm just confused."

"Is there anything I can do to help you out?" Gary offered. It would be easier for him if Charlie just told him how he could help instead of him having to guess.

"No," she replied, pulling her knees even closer. As Gary waited for her to answer, she thought about it a bit more. That's when she felt the build up of tears. She knew he was only try to help her, but there was only person she wanted. To hide them from Gary, she tilted her head away from him so that her cheek was resting on her kneecap. "I want my dad."

Her voice was slightly muffled, but he could still make out what she said. With her words came a new a feeling for Gary that he hadn't experienced in quite some time. For once he actually felt helpless. He was Gary Oak, who could do anything. Now, his powers were drained as he stared at Charlie, feeling sorry for her.

He had come here trying to help her, but all she wanted was Ash, something Gary couldn't give her no matter how hard he tried or how many connections he had, or strings he pulled. Ash was gone and he wasn't coming back. He had led Charlie to him because he wanted Gary to help her, but he couldn't. With that sudden realization, he couldn't help but feel that he had failed Ash and let him down.

Since Gary couldn't think of a way to help Charlie, he decided to take the route he always took himself: distraction. If he could get her to think about something else or something happier, he could at least feel like he cheered her up a bit.

"I miss him, too, Charlie. Everyone does," he told her. It was weird for Gary to hear himself admit that he actually missed Ash, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized he missed Ash for a different reason. He wanted Ash here so he could tell Gary what to do so he could help his daughter. "But you can't focus on that. You have to think about other things; positive things like memories."

"Like what kind of memories?" she asked, turning her head back toward him. When she did, he could see glistening streaks of tears on her face.

"Well, let's see," Gary replied, crossing his arms and leaning against the slide. "How about you tell me what it was like having Ash as a dad? Those are some memories that only you have. I'm sure there's some positive stuff in there."

"Well, there was never a dull moment," she told Gary. It was the only word she could think of to describe their life together. She normally didn't talk about their relationship together, so it was kind of strange for someone to be asking her about her dad when she had spent the last eleventh months learning about him through his friends. "We lived together in a little apartment in those buildings over there-Third floor, room 304-and he spent his days running the training school," she said, pointing out a row of apartment buildings across the street from the park. "Other than that he worried about me a lot, and I always kept him on his toes, earning me the nickname of his Little Charizard. At the end of the day though, I knew he loved me and that he was just trying to do his best in the situation he had been placed in."

"How'd he do?"

Charlie couldn't help it, but she cracked a small smile. She really loved her dad and she knew he always tried to give her a happy life, but he screwed up so many times Charlie started to lose count. Then again, while he might have screwed up in the eyes of the other parents, it only reinforced the fact for Charlie that if you really loved someone for who they are, you accepted their flaws and failures.

"Well, I'm still alive, aren't I?" Charlie joked.

"Heh. Yeah you are," laughed Gary. Gary just shook his head. For Charlie to say that at the end of all this, she was still alive, only indicated that Charlie's life with Ash was probably a lot like Ash's adventures, where his traveling companions' claim to fame was that they had survived a journey with Ash Ketchum. "Remind me to give you a medal for that."

"Um…okay." She paused for a second to figure out what he meant, but quickly gave up. "Anyways, for starters, he barely ever cooked. I'm pretty sure I lived on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches until I moved in with Christina and Daniel. And when I was little and started working, he had to start taking me to daycare. He'd always drop me off, but he would get so involved in what he was doing that he would forget to pick me up. It eventually got so bad that the daycare people threatened him that if he didn't start showing up on time, they would refuse to take me. Thankfully I was good friends with Grayson, so his mom started volunteering to pick me up and drop me off at the school so my dad wouldn't have to."

"Your dad could never remember anything," Gary commented.

"I know. That wasn't even the worst part," she reported. _What__ could __be __worse __than __being __left__ at__daycare? _Gary wondered_._"Since there weren't many single parents in Viridian, let alone one where the dad was the sole caretaker and where the dad was really young, I stuck out in daycare. This only encouraged the other moms to fuss over me and criticize my dad about how my ponytails weren't centered, my pigtails uneven and my buns and braids messy. They even nit picked him about how my clothes didn't match and how Charlie wasn't an appropriate name for a girl."

"Uh oh." Gary lifted his head up, sensing an impending doom for Ash in Charlie's story. "Did they gang up on him and have an intervention?"

Regardless of the fact that he did feel bad for Ash and thought the mothers were overreacting, his personality wouldn't let him get by without enjoying Ash's suffering a tiny bit. It was pretty funny to think that a group of angry moms were after Ash because he called his daughter Charlie and couldn't properly French braid her hair.

"It was pretty close. Grayson's mom told me that they backed down a bit and actually started to help him out when they found out my mom wasn't around anymore. It didn't change the way they looked at me and my dad, though."

"What do you mean?" Gary asked, some hesitance to his voice.

The tone of Charlie's voice in her last sentence indicated that whatever way the mom's looked at her and Ash upset her.

"I understand that they were trying to help me, but I always felt like they thought it was their job to go around and fix everything my dad messed up on because they had nothing better to do. They never believed me either when I told them I could care less if my dad wasn't a perfect parent or if I ate PB&J everyday. I was happy and I was alive and healthy."

She stopped her story rather abruptly as something dawned on her.

"Well most of the time I was healthy. There was the one time they freaked out when my dad was trying to teach me how to climb a tree and I fell and broke my arm. It hurt a lot at first, but I didn't mind so much when I had a cool cast for everyone to sign. They on the other hand were ready to put him on the parent black list for child endangerment." To Gary's confusion, she pulled back her bangs to reveal her forehead and pointed to a spot right above her eye. "I even have a scar. See?" Gary leaned forward a bit so he could see. It was a tiny sliver that was slightly lighter than her natural skin color. "I was walking through the Viridian Forest with my dad when he moved a tree branch out of the way but forgot I was behind him. It smacked me right in the face and left a nice cut over my eye. I had to get five stitches. He felt horrible."

"Wow." Ash really had no idea what he was doing. "But they freaked out over one scar and a broken bone? Your dad had so many scars and broken bones when he was a kid that it makes this looks like nothing."

"See?" she exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air in frustration. Gary understood her, so why couldn't the moms? "They should have just been happy I was alive. Trust me, I get that things weren't great, but my situation could have been a lot worse."

"Maybe. I don't really know how things could get much worse beyond having Ash as a dad," Gary replied, throwing a smirk in Charlie's direction.

To his surprise and enjoyment, she actually laughed at his crack at Ash. Her laugh soon died out as she took a deep breath and took a second to wipe away her tears.

"Hey Charlie. There's something I want to show you. You up for it?"

As he waited for her to respond, Gary stared at the buildings across the street. He couldn't believe he hadn't thought of it, even when she had mentioned it before.

"What is it?"

Gary didn't want to directly tell Charlie what it was, so he tried to come up with a more secretive way to tell her. Finally thinking of a way, he grinned in triumph.

"It's a riddle," he told her. He watched her face as it went from interested to annoyed in three seconds. "The first number is number of starter Pokemon you can choose from in each region. _Three,_ Charlie deciphered_._ The second number is the number of girls Brock successfully got a date with. _Hehe. __According __to __my __dad __he __never __could __get __a __girlfriend. __Zero._ And the last number is the number of girls your dad traveled with. _Misty,__May,__Dawn __and __Iris. __Four!__ Wait__…_"

"But Gary that's-"

"Ah, I see you've figured it out."

"That's breaking an entry! We could get arrested!" Charlie cried.

Gary just smirked, enjoying the fact that he knew something Charlie didn't. Sticking his hand into his pocket, he pulled out a ring of keys and dangled them in front of Charlie. "Not if you own the place." Throwing them up in the air, he let them fall before snatching them mid air. "Now let's go."

OOOO

304 read the metal numbers on the door. It had been five years since Charlie had last been here, but it felt like it was just yesterday her and her dad were coming back to this apartment after a busy day. Just like she remembered, the door was an ugly green with its metal door handle that had a faulty lock that broke all the time.

Stepping aside, she let Gary insert the key and listened for the click of the lock that would indicate they could enter. Pulling down the handle, Gary pushed open the door and flicked on the lights as he stepped inside. As Charlie entered behind him, she felt the sudden rush of memories.

When she walked in, the first thing you spotted was the tiny kitchen directly in front of you with a table and three chairs. She remembered sitting at the table just blabbering on to her dad while he fixed her a PB&J sandwich. On her right side was the "family room", which had a couch, a chair and a T.V. sitting on a small stand with shelves that she recalled once holding their favorite movies. More importantly, it was the spot where her and her dad would spend whole Saturdays watching Pokemon battles and have their Friday night movie.

"It looks different," Charlie commented.

The walls were pretty much bare and no longer had the small collection of pictures her dad had placed on them. The floor by the door was actually free of scattered shoes that they had been too lazy to take back to their room, and Charlie's toys weren't dispersed around the house wherever she decided to leave them. Even in the kitchen the table was clear of grocery bags or mail, and the sink was clean and free of piled up dishes waiting to be cleaned. She was almost tempted to ask if it was Sunday.

As far back as Charlie could remember, Sunday was usually the day her dad actually got around to doing the basic chores like cleaning, laundry and doing the dishes. Even though they didn't have a whole lot to begin with, through the course of the week things added up rather quickly. When Sunday did finally roll around, her dad would follow the same routine each time: He would throw the laundry into the washer-they actually had their own washer and dryer-and start with the dishes while he waited for it to finish. Whenever he did the dishes, he would wash them and she would stick them in the dishwasher.

"After he passed away some of your dad's friends came here and cleared it out of all his stuff so they could sell it," Gary explained to her. He hadn't been in here when Misty, Brock and Ms. Ketchum had come to get Ash's things, but he could assume that Charlie was surprised to see it so bare and empty. "They don't know I bought it though."

Eying the stairs, she headed in that direction, eager to see what her old bedroom. After walking up the stairs, she spotted her dad's room diagonal to the stairs in the right corner of the second floor. Pushing open the door, she was surprised to see that the room looked like someone had recently been in it. The covers on his bed were unmade and the closet door was open, as if someone had been rummaging through it. Despite it being open though, the closet itself was empty with unused hangers, her dad's clothes, boxes, shoes hats and the ironing board no longer there.

"This was his room," she announced. Although she had a room of her own, she recalled spending the most time in here. He would sit on the bed with his laptop and a notepad, finishing up some work while she leaned against him and Pikachu snoozed at the end of the bed. As she listened to the lull of him typing away at his keyboard, she would talk to him-about anything- until her eyes became so heavy she couldn't keep them open any longer. After that, he would carry her off to her room. "It normally looked a lot messier than this. I'd always beat him getting ready for bed, so I always came in here and jumped on his bed while I waited for him to finish up. There used to be a little bed at the foot of the bed where Pikachu always slept. I had one in my room, too, but Pikachu always wanted to sleep near my dad."

"I always liked jumping on the bed as a kid," Gary remarked. "My grandfather always yelled at me, though."

"Yeah. So did my dad. He bought me a book called _10__ Little __Aipoms __Jumping __on __the __Bed_ in hopes I would stop," she explained. "I didn't though. I just continued to jump on my own bed and demand he read the book."

As she observed the bed, she could almost hear her dad's voice yelling at her to stop or she might hurt herself. At the time she would have gotten mad and told him to stop yelling at her, but now she would give anything to hear him say those same words again, even if it was a yell. But for now, all she could do was walk over and plop onto his bed and rub her hand over the navy blue comforter. She swung her legs back and forth as she debated what to do next. That's when she hit something with a loud, reverberating thud.

Halting her feet mid air, she hopped down, much to Gary's curiosity, and got on her hands and knees to peer under her bed. Underneath the bed she saw a brown shoebox that she hadn't recalled ever seeing there before. Then again, she never did look under her dad's bed. Pulling it out from the bed, she hopped back on the bed and set the box in her lap.

"What's that?" Gary asked.

"I don't know," she told him. "I've never seen it before. I'd say it's probably just shoes, but my dad barely ever bought new shoes. Plus, it's too light."

Pulling off the lid, she was surprised to see that the shoebox was filled with scraps of folded up paper like you might use to draw names out of a hat. Curious as to what Charlie had found, Gary walked over to the bed and sat down next to her as she pulled out one of the papers and unfolded it. Umbreon climbed onto the bed and curled up next to its trainer.

"They're notes," she announced as she read over the paper. In the same handwriting she had seen for the last eleven months, was a jotted down note that had been written in the spur of the moment. Each one had been dated and they were addressed to several people ranging from her mom to Dawn, Cilan, and even Gary. "Look," she instructed, handing the one she was holding over to Gary.

_Ruby, _

_You left yesterday. Charlotte woke up asking for you, but I didn't know what to tell her. I wish you were here to help me. Please come back soon. We miss you. _

_Ash_

The next one read:

_Mom, _

_Charlotte wants her mom and she's been asking me where she is everyday. I didn't know what to tell her so I told her what you told me since I was a kid: That her mom was on an adventure. I don't know how long I can keep this single-parent thing up though. How did you do it on your own? _

_Ash_

"Here's one to Brock," Charlie said as she read over it and handed it to Gary.

_Brock, _

_Some moms yelled at me today because Charlotte's pigtails were uneven and her dress had a small tear in it. I didn't know how to fix it because I don't know how to sew. How did you do it, Brock? I need your help. _

_Ash_

_Dawn,_

_We watched your contest today-Charlotte and I. You were amazing as always and we rooted for you the whole time. Charlotte loved your contest outfit. Ambipom is looking good. Keep up the good work. We're cheering for you. _

_Ash_

"Another Ruby."

_Ruby, _

_Charlotte's friend has been calling her Charlie lately because he has trouble saying her full name. I really like the name and I think I'm going to start calling her that. I hope you don't mind. Come back soon. We miss you._

_Ash_

If she wanted to, she could sit there and read through every one, but there were so many. Recollecting the little pile she had set on the bed, she threw them back into the shoebox and put the lid back on.

"I'll read the rest later," she told Gary. Hopping off the bed, she gave the room one final glance before racing out the door and over to her room.

There was nothing left though that could indicate she ever once inhabited the room. Her Pichu themed bedspread was missing, as was her fuzzy pink blanket that always sat at the end of her bed. Her collection of Pokedolls was gone from her rocking chair, and even the rocking chair itself was missing from her room. On the rare occasions when she would actually start off in her room for the night, she would curl up on her dad's lap in the rocking chair while he told her stories about a boy and his adventures around the world. It was only now that it dawned on her that the stories her dad had told her were stories right out of his own adventures. After a careful glance at her beside table she noticed that it was clear of any objects, her favorite music box missing. When her dad had to go to the Orange Islands for something-it had been the only time he left for more than a day- he had brought her back the music box, its tune the song of Lugia.

"Is this your room?" she heard Gary ask.

"Was. My room's in Christina and Daniel's house."

She didn't know why she had just said that. It wasn't that she hated living with Christina and Daniel; it was that all her memories of living with her dad were in this apartment. Knowing that the room wasn't technically hers anymore only enforced the fact that this apartment wasn't her and her dad's anymore. Just like the stories he would tell her on occasion, their story together was just one of many that would pass through this apartment. The apartment represented her old life, while her new life was represented by Christina and Daniel's two-story house that lacked her dad.

"Why did you buy this place?" Charlie asked, turning to face him.

Gary shrugged. "I don't know. When they said they were going to sell it, I just couldn't imagine anyone else but Ash living in here." Gary paused for seconds as an idea came into his head. "I guess since Ruby's here, if she wanted to, I could lend her this place so she has somewhere to stay."

"No!" Charlie suddenly blurted out. It had escaped her lips before she could take it back. Realizing the volume of her voice, she quieted down to barely above a whisper. "No. She can't."

"Everything okay, Charlie?" Gary asked, alarmed by her sudden outburst.

"You can't give it to her," she repeated, her voice growing in intensity as she gripped the covers in her fist. "She gave it up. It's not hers. It's ours-me and my dad. She can't have it."

She had been confused as to how to feel toward her mom's arrival earlier, but now, after reliving the memories of the apartment, her confusion had slowly disappeared. There wasn't a single memory she could think of regarding Ruby and this apartment, but she could think of hundreds that involved her dad. She had believed a lit for seven years, but now the truth had sunk in. Her mom was never on an adventure; she had left her-given up their life together- no matter how you looked at it.

"Charlie, you're mom didn't give you up," he tried to assure her. "She didn't have a choice. The situation between Ash and her wouldn't work."

"I understand that," she retorted. She understood that her dad had made things difficult for them to actually live together, but that didn't mean her mom couldn't have at least come and visit like they had originally planned for her dad, "but Gary, she waited seven years to come back." Her voice was strained and she could once again feel the hot tears stinging her eyes. "Why didn't she come see me? She could have come back anytime to see me, but she didn't."

"I don't know Charlie."

He had wondered the same thing himself when Ruby had told him. He thought that she would have realized after some time that Ash wasn't going to bring Charlie to her, so why didn't she go see her daughter herself? And while she had said it had taken her that long to even gain the courage, a part of him wondered if there was more to it than that. Surly it doesn't take someone seven years to gain the courage to see their daughter? And, it wasn't as if Ruby and Charlie had never met prior to Ruby leaving.

"Parent's don't abandon their kids," she continued on, the tears finally falling and her shoulders shaking a bit. "But that's what she did. If she wanted me, she would have come back earlier or even called to talk to me. But she never did that and she was never on an adventure. He just lied to me so I wouldn't have to know the real truth."

Gary just frowned, feeling helpless once again. He had tried to rationalize Ruby's actions for her by saying that by being the bigger person, she had allowed Charlie a life with her dad before he passed. But now he wasn't so sure he believed that himself anymore. He just didn't want to yell at Ruby and scare her off like he did before. While Ash wasn't completely innocent in this-if he knew where Ruby was, he should have taken Charlie to her-Ruby had just left her daughter when she needed her most.

"I want to go home." Grabbing the shoebox, she took a second to wipe away her tears before sliding off the bed. She walked over and stood in front of Gary and looked up at him, trying to give him a small smile. It was harder than she thought though. "Thank you for taking me here. I really appreciate it. It means a lot."

"You're welcome, Charlie," he replied. At least he had succeeded in helping her some way. "If you want I can see if I can get another key made so you can come in here anytime you want."

"Could you?" she asked, her voice sounding hopeful.

He nodded.

* * *

><p><strong>Thanks for reading and I hope you tune in for next time! Unfortunately, I have midterms coming up, so I don't know when the next chapter will be out. I'll try my best, though! <strong>


	14. When She Loved Me

_Lonely and forgotten, never thought she'd look my way,_  
><em> She smiled at me and held me, just like she used to do,<em>  
><em> Like she loved me, when she loved me<em>

"You just wait right here and I'll go get her for you, okay?"

"Okay," Charlie replied, her voice a bit shaky.

It had taken her almost two weeks, but this was the day. Today, she had decided, she was going to meet her mom.

Charlie knew that despite what she had decided, a part of her was still afraid. That part feared that after being reunited with her mom, she would abandon her, leaving Charlie more hurt than before. That part of her that held this fear was the part that had delayed her decision for so long. She had wanted to wait until she was "ready" to meet her mom, but that part wouldn't let the worry of Ruby leaving again leave her mind. That's when she figured that if she waited until she was truly ready to meet Ruby, she might be waiting forever. Plus, there was a part of Charlie that felt bad for her mom, causing her to not want to make Ruby have to wait around too long. Charlie had a feeling her mom was just as anxious as she was. Maybe even more.

She hadn't told her parents about her mom being here for fear that they might try to intervene and prevent her from meeting Ruby. She didn't think it would happen, but she knew this wasn't something her parents would like. She didn't like going behind their backs, but she needed this. She didn't know why, but she just did. To keep them from being suspicious, she had woken up each morning and gone over to the apartment she used to live in. After spending the morning there with Pikachu, she would go find Grayson so that her parents wouldn't think she was losing it. Today, though, she had come straight to the training school and found Gary. She told him that she wanted to meet Ruby in person, and now he was in the middle of granting her request.

"Pika?" Pikachu asked, cocking his head to the side. He had noticed something off about Charlie, but she hadn't said anything to him about what was bothering her. He didn't know what they were doing either. "Pikapi?"

Instead of answering him, Charlie just scratched Pikachu under his chin. Although he easily complied with the special treatment, he was still worried about her. He had always hated when Ash would get really upset and he was unable to figure out why, or even help him. So, his inability to decipher the cause of Charlie's sudden mood swing frustrated him.

From traveling so long on Charlie and Ash's shoulders, Pikachu had learned to sense the connections between their change in emotion and the switch in their bodies. So when Charlie's body suddenly stiffened at the sound of footsteps outside the door, Pikachu could sense that whatever was behind the door scared her and put her on the edge. Scampering up her arm and onto her shoulder, he nudged her cheek affectionately and gave off little sparks.

"Pikachu," she giggled as the little waves of electricity touched her cheek, "quit it. That tickles."

As Charlie tried to swat Pikachu away, she heard the door open causing her to drop what she was doing. _This is it. There's no turning back. _This even alerted Pikachu, who looked up to see who was causing Charlie so much stress. When he saw who it was, though, he leaped off Charlie's shoulder and stopped a few feet away from Ruby.

"Chupi?"

Pikachu was stunned. He knew exactly who was standing in front of him, but he never thought he'd see her again.

"Hey there, Pikachu," Charlie heard Ruby's voice flow through the room as she greeted Pikachu. Her voice was sweet and Charlie could hear the genuine care in it. It wasn't a very high-pitched voice, but it wasn't a very low-pitch either; it was more in the middle. "It's been a while since I've seen you."

When Charlie finally gained the nerve to look up, she got her first real look at her mom. She was kneeling in front of Pikachu, offering her hand for him to sniff so she wouldn't startle him. Ruby's matching auburn hair was down with two side braids that kept her bangs out of her face, and she looked tiny compared to Gary's taller frame. Her heart-shaped face was accented with some minimal makeup and flushed, red cheeks from the cold. _She's so pretty_, Charlie thought as she took in Ruby's smile directed toward Pikachu. Even the clothes she wore-dark-blue jeans and a white t-shirt with a green sweater over it- added to her beauty. She was speechless and glued to her seat, overwhelmed by it all. This was her mom and the woman she had been missing for years. And after all these years, she was standing in front of her like magic. While her mom hadn't been on an adventure, her dad hadn't completely lied to her. Her mom had eventually come back for her. It took a long time, but she was here. And every bit of Charlie prayed she wouldn't change her mind.

After Pikachu had approached Ruby and was now being cuddled like a stuffed animal in her lap, Ruby looked up and locked eyes with her daughter. While Charlie saw herself in Ruby, all Ruby could see in Charlotte was Ash. Like everyone had said, Charlotte's eyes were the same chestnut brown that Ash had, and some of her facial features were the spinning image of Ash. Regardless of the nerves she was feeling before when Gary had told her the good news, all she could do now was smile. This wasn't the same little girl she had left; this was a much older girl who had changed considerably over the years. Her hair was much longer and resembled Ruby's own hair more than it had before; and the baby fat was starting to fade, as Charlotte's cheeks were significantly reduced in size. Charlotte was still tiny like Ruby had always remembered her being, but she had definitely grown a few inches. Charlotte may have looked different than what Ruby remembered, but there was no doubt in Ruby's mind that this was her daughter.

Sensing they might want some time to themselves, Gary urged Pikachu to follow him as they slipped out the door together. After they left, though, Charlie didn't say anything. What do you say to the women you haven't seen since you were three? Hey? Hi, how are you doing? It's been a while? In her dreams since she was a kid, she would be running up to her mom for a hug, but that's not what she wanted. Then again, she didn't know what she wanted. She could tell that even Ruby was at loss for words. After Ruby heard the click of the door as Gary shut it behind him, she slowly glided over to Charlotte and crouched down in front of her.

Now on Charlotte's level, their eyes locked, amber gazing into chestnut, as they tried to read the other. Lifting her hand, Ruby let it hang right in front of Charlotte's face, hesitant to move it any closer. She wanted to pull her daughter into a hug and hold on to her, but she knew that it could scare Charlotte. Proceeding forward, Ruby moved her hand to push back a piece of hair that had fallen in her daughter's face. Brushing the loose strand behind her ear, she held her hand there for a second before letting it fall to rest on Charlotte's cheek.

The sensation of her mom's hand against her cheek felt different, but not necessarily in a bad way. Unlike her dad's hands, which were rough, callous-filled from years of traveling and always covered with cotton gloves, her mom's hands were warm and soft. She could even smell the mild amount of perfume radiating off her wrist. It smelled like flowers, almost giving off a sense of a mini garden, reminding her a bit of her dad. To her, he had always smelled like the outdoors with that earthy smell, and Ruby's flower smelling perfume only complimented that smell. _Do I smell like the earth, too?_

Despite what she had decided earlier, Ruby couldn't hold back from hugging her daughter. Her emotions were too overwhelming to be ignored. Sliding her hand down Charlotte's cheek and onto her shoulder, she gripped both of them and pulled her close. Unlike the years before when she had held her daughter, she wasn't able to lift her up and carry her, nor was she able to pull her into her lap. Soon, she wouldn't even need to crouch down to be at Charlotte's level. Right then and there, though, she could have cared less. After several years, she finally held her daughter in her arms once again.

"I can't believe I found you," Ruby exclaimed as she wrapped her arms around her.

Charlotte remained standing where she was, unnerved by the sudden action Ruby had taken. Her dream was coming true and she didn't know how to react. To begin with, she had never really been an affectionate person, something she inherited from both her parents. Secondly, her brain was telling her it would be the respectful thing to hug her mom back, but her heart was still stuck in the past.

This was the woman who had left her for really no reason at all, and now she was back, standing here, expecting Charlie to return her hug like nothing happened. She could forgive her mom because that's what you do for people you love, but even after all these years she couldn't figure out how someone she loved so much, and who she thought loved her back, could just leave her. Then again, In the grand scheme of things, she barely knew Ruby and she had been to young to remember their time together, so one could question how it was possible for Charlie to love someone she barely knew. But she did love her mom because, well, she was her mom. Maybe not as strong as her dad who had been her primary caretaker for a while, but she loved her mom enough to miss her while she was gone and dream about the day they would be reunited.

But things were different now. After her dad passed away, Ruby still hadn't returned leaving Christina and Daniel to take over caring for her. She had a family-maybe not the one she dreamed about-but a loving and caring family nonetheless. And while she could never call Daniel, Dad, she found it easier to call Christina, mom. Deep down, though, she always knew a part of her knew Christina could never take the full place of her mom despite the fact Ruby was gone. Now with Ruby here, though, Charlie feared things would change. She didn't want to hurt anybody she loved, but she couldn't ignore her feelings.

"We missed you," she told Ruby. She was speaking for both her and her dad, but it was her who did the majority of the missing. "We waited for you but you never called or came back. Didn't you miss me?"

"Of course I did, sweetie," Ruby replied, leaning back so Charlotte could see her face. _Sweetie?_ Hearing the word come out of Ruby's mouth felt strange to Charlie. Nobody had called her sweetie before. Her dad had always used names more associated for boys- kiddo, squirt, sport, buddy, etc-while Christina had always called her dear. "I missed you everyday-both of you."

"If you missed me, why didn't you come back?"

Ruby knew these questions would come up eventually, but she didn't think Charlotte would ask them right away. On the other hand, by addressing the giant Phanpy in the room, maybe they could work past it and Ruby could focus on rebuilding her relationship with her daughter. Staring back at Charlotte, she tried to come up with a way to answer her daughter's looming questions. She knew Charlotte was aware of the reasons behind why she had left, but that wasn't what she wanted to know.

"Charlotte, I was a coward. I've always been a coward. I-I thought your dad would bring you to me, but he never did. After that I just assumed he was mad so I ignored it and didn't do anything." Ruby took a deep breath as she watched Charlotte observe her face for anything. "It took me a while to see the wrong in my actions, and when I finally did, I went looking for you. I'd missed so much of your life already, and I couldn't bare to miss anymore of it. I was ready to work with your dad so I could see you, too. But when I came to Viridian and ran into Gary he told me..he…"

She didn't know why, but Ruby could feel the tears gathering in her eyes. Both her and Charlotte knew what happened next in Ruby's search, but it was still hard for Ruby to process. While Charlotte had lived five years knowing about her dad's death, Ruby had just found out and had yet to try and imagine her life without him-at least, a life where there was no chance of her seeing him again or repairing their relationship. She had been five years too short.

"It's okay to cry," Charlie whispered. She gave Ruby a sympathetic look, understanding how she felt. "I…I miss him everyday."

"I'm so sorry," Ruby replied, chocking over her words. Her voice cracked a bit as the tears became unstoppable. Resting her hand on Charlotte's cheek once more, she apologized again. "I'm so sorry, Charlotte. If I never left, I could have been there for you; I should have been there for you. You've had to live five years without him, and I should have been there everyday to make sure you got through it. We should have gotten through it together. But I just left you alone."

"I'm better than I was then."

She was now. It had taken her a while to accept her life without her dad, but she had pulled herself together and carried on. She still missed him everyday and wrestled with her desire to seek revenge on the people who had taken him from her, but she was better now. And with the box of letters her dad had sent her nearing its end, she couldn't help but feel that she would somehow receive closure for his death. It would be the final thing she ever got from him, thus ending the mystery that shrouded his life.

"I know you are," Ruby smiled back at her through her tears. "You're a very strong girl. Your dad raised you well."

"It was hard," Charlie told her, "but he tried his best."

"Of course he did," Ruby assured her. _He always did. _"He loved you so much. You were his whole life, Charlotte. You two were practically inseparable."

"Did you love me?" Charlie asked.

"Love you? Oh, Charlotte, of course I do." Ruby felt at twinge of pain that her daughter would even ask her something like this. As a mother it was her duty to make sure her daughter never questioned if she was loved by her, but she had failed. "The minute they put you in my arms and I saw your little nose and big, brown eyes, I fell in love. I've always loved you no matter what, and I always will."

"What have you been doing?" Charlie asked. Since her mom hadn't been on an adventure, she was now left with the question of what exactly her mom had been doing all these years in Saffron. "He told me you were on an adventure, but since you weren't…"

_He lied for me?_ _Why would he lie for me?_ While Ruby didn't think Ash was a bad person, she had always thought he would tell Charlotte the truth-or some variation of it-about why she wasn't there anymore. Instead, though, he had used the same excuse his mom had used for him. She sat there for a second pondering the reason why. Knowing Ash, though, she concluded that it would just be easier for him to tell Charlotte this little lie instead of breaking her heart with the truth. By doing this nobody got hurt-except maybe him-and Charlotte could live with this image that Ruby was out exploring the world. That there was still hope she would come back one day.

"Ruby?" she heard Charlotte's voice break through her thoughts. She had really wanted to call Ruby "Mom" but the word in reference to Ruby felt strange and out of place to Charlie. So, to avoid letting it slip out, she had settled for Ruby.

She had blanked out and left Charlotte standing there. At the same time, though, it was bittersweet for her to here her daughter address her. She had finally called her Ruby for the first time, but she had hoped the word mom would come out of Charlotte's mouth. Ruby knew she didn't deserve that title, though. She had gone without it for seven years, and now, according to Gary, someone else in Charlotte's life had that title.

"Sorry." Her face flushed as she let her hands fall to her side. Sighing, she stood up and folded her arms, tilting them at a slight angle. "Um, well, I've been in Saffron. I've competed in Pokemon Contests, but I stopped that a year ago because while I loved them, within the last couple years, they weren't giving me the happiness they used to anymore. I went back to Pokemon battling and started training everyday. My friends think I do it too obsessively, but it was a good distraction, you know?"

Unfolding her arms, she interlocked her fingers and flexed them. She was so nervous she could feel her heart beating at a rapid speed.

"I specialize in grass Pokemon, but I have a soft spot for bug types as well. I was recently offered a spot as the first member of the elite four to specialize in grass Pokemon, so I guess I must be pretty good. It's kind of been my dream, but I don't know if I should take it. I-"

"You should take it," Charlie interjected. Ruby paused and looked at her, raising her eyebrows in surprise. "You don't want to pass up an opportunity like that."

"I guess…" If she really wanted to, she could take it-she had till the end of March to accept. Plus, since she would be stationed at the Indigo Plateau, she would be a lot closer to Charlotte and Gary.

"You should," Charlie added once more for good measure. If things didn't work out well with her mom and her, she could at least try to make up by for it by encouraging her mom to pursue her dream. Her dad had always told her that no matter what, she should support the people she loved. "If there's one thing I learned from my dad's death, it's to take every opportunity you can. He never got to achieve his dream, so you should go for it now before you run out of time."

How could Ruby not say yes after Charlotte had put it that way? It had been her dream since she was little to become the top Grass Pokemon trainer, and a spot on the Kanto elite four would get her one step closer. At the same time, though, she wanted something else more. Her life had changed over the years, and she had realized she wanted a family more than a life of elite status. She wanted Charlotte back, and she wanted to work things out with Ash so they could both equally share the responsibility of raising Charlotte and have their own lives at the same time. She knew she couldn't have all of that anymore-Maybe Charlotte was right. By giving up her dream when she had the chance, she had lost it-but she could at least have some of it.

Sighing, she turned her face into a warm smile. "I'll think about it."

Charlie nodded approvingly.

"Gary said my dad wanted him to take me to Pallet Town for Christmas. He said he invited you, too."

"Yes he did. But I won't go if it'll make you uncomfortable in anyway."

"No, it's okay. I want you to come," she told Ruby.

She really did, too. While she had been able to deal with everything she had learned about her dad from his friends and the memories of the apartment, his hometown of Pallet scared her. She knew there was someone really important she was going to meet there-she could sense it. Plus, if Pallet was his home, she had a feeling her dad would lead her to the house where he grew up. Who knows what memories were hidden there or what she would uncover about here dad's past? Pallet Town was where her dad, Ruby and Gary had all grown up together. And if she was going to face his past there, she wanted both Gary and Ruby with her to answer any questions and to be there for comfort purposes.

"Anything you need, Charlotte," Ruby assured her.

"Ruby?" Charlotte squeaked out. When Ruby was facing her, she took a deep breath and asked the question that had been at the forefront of her mind since she got here. "You're not going to leave me again, are you?"

This simple question made Ruby's heart fall. She hated to see Charlotte so scared and weary that she would abandon her again. Then again, Charlotte had lost both of the people she loved when she was young. She could only imagine the extent of pain Charlotte had went through-and probably still did at times-with the loss of Ash, but Ash hadn't left Charlotte the way Ruby had. His had been unstoppable and permanent. Her's was changeable at any time.

Walking toward Charlotte, she once again cupped her cheek and pulled her into a hug. "I'll never leave you again," she promised her daughter. "I love you, Charlotte."

OOOO

After returning from the training school, Charlie had told her parents about how she had discovered that her biological mother had come looking for her and how she had gone and met her behind their backs. When she did, Christina was furious with Charlie for hiding something so huge from them, and had even tried to prevent her from going to Pallet Town. This wasn't how things were supposed to happen. Ash had always told her that Ruby was gone and would probably never come back, but she had. And with her sudden appearances, Christina was scared for what might happen to Charlie.

After a rather heated argument between Charlie and Christina over letting Charlie go to Pallet, Daniel had finally intervened when they both went into their rooms. He could understand that Christina was only looking out for Charlie, but he also knew that Charlie was smart enough to know what was best for her-most of the time. Plus, he was convinced that Christina was still hurt over Charlie going and meeting Ruby behind their backs, and was just trying to hide it. So, when he went and looked for her, he found her sitting on the edge of their bed.

"How could she do this to us?" Christina blurted out the second she heard Daniel shut the door. "How could she just go and hide something that huge from us?"

"If she had told us, would you have let her?" Daniel asked.

"Of course I would have!" she cried, shooting her head in his direction. He just started at her, reading through her lie. After a few seconds, she sighed and let her arms fall to her side. "I don't know, Daniel."

"See? Then maybe it was a good thing she didn't tell us," he told her. Walking over he sat down next to her on the bed and wrapped his hand around her shoulder, pulling her close. "What are you really afraid of, Christina? I know you aren't really mad about her going to Pallet Town."

"I don't want to lose her, Daniel," she whispered. Although Christina wanted Charlie to meet the person her dad wanted her to, Ruby worried her. Now that Charlie had met her biological mom and wanted to spend the holidays with her, Christina worried that problems would arise from that. Maybe she was being selfish, but she couldn't help but worry that when Charlie came back, she would decide she no longer wanted to live with them and Christina would lose the girl she had raised as her own daughter. "When Ash passed away and he left her to us, I promised myself that I would take good care of her and love her like she's my own daughter. Over time, that became second nature and I grew attached to her. Now, I could never imagine my life without her."

"You have done that," Daniel tried to assure her. "Charlie's not going anywhere, Christina. Gary said since a lot of the people she met have families of their own, their having a big party before Christmas. That way everyone, including her, can be back home in time to spend Christmas with their families."

"She will?" She asked.

"Yep. You really have nothing to worry about," he told her. "So are you going to tell Charlie she can go to Pallet Town?"

Christina nodded.

"Good. Plus, knowing her, she would have gone anyway."

OOOO

When Tuesday afternoon rolled around-Christmas Eve was Friday- Charlie found herself sitting at the kitchen table waiting for Gary to arrive. Her mom had finally given in and agreed to let her got to Pallet Town, much to Charlie's excitement.

"Do you have everything?" her mom asked for what felt like the millionth time. Her mom had already asked her if she had her pajamas, toothbrush and toothpaste, clothes, etc. Charlie grunted in reply, sick of answering yes. "Okay. Good. Now make sure you have warm clothes. I know Pallet is a bit further south, but it can still get pretty cold since they are by the ocean. Oh! And…"

"Mom," Charlie whined, resting her head on the table, "stop freaking out. I just came back from and eleven moth journey, remember? I think I can handle a few days in Pallet. Plus, if anything happens, Gary will help me and Viridian is right near by. And I'll have Pikachu."

"Pika!" Pikachu gave an affirmative cry. No matter how annoying Charlie could be at times, he wouldn't let anything bad happen to her.

"I know. I know," her mom sighed.

Just then the doorbell rang, indicating Gary's arrival.

"Gary's here," Charlie announced, hopping off the table, a sudden burst of energy running through her system. Even though she didn't know Gary all that well, Charlie could already tell by their little conversation at the park that she was going to get along well with Gary. She liked how he was confident and didn't take things too seriously, cracking jokes or making fun of something to lighten the mood. Before she ran out the door, Charlie stopped and walked over to her mom to give her a hug. "I'll be okay. No need to worry about me."

"That's when I worry the most," her mom laughed, throwing her a knowing smile. Charlie just sighed. Her mom always said that when she would tell her not to worry about her. She was pretty sure her dad had said it at one point or another, too. "Do you have your coat? How about your gloves, hat and a scarf? I don't want you getting sick."

"Well, my coat's on the coat rack by the front door, as is my scarf and hat," she laughed. Sometimes she thought her mom worried more about her more than her dad had. "And, before you ask, I'm wearing my boots. See?"

"Okay Ms. Smarty Pants. Go grab your stuff. We don't want to make Gary wait out in the cold."

Rushing over to the door, Charlie swung it open to reveal Gary standing on her front porch.

"Hey there Charlie. You ready to go?" Gary asked.

"Yep! I just have to grab my coat," she explained. Standing on her tiptoes (she was kind of short) she grabbed her red coat, grey scarf and matching gloves, and her favorite hat. Throwing them on, she walked back over to Gary and stood in front of him all ready to go. "Ready!"

"Thanks for doing this, Gary," Christina thanked him as she walked into the hallway, Pikachu bounding behind her. This surprised Gary at first since Charlie had told him Christina was very hesitant about him taking Charlie to Pallet Town. "She's very excited. So is Pikachu."

"No problem, Ms. West. I'm happy to help anyway I can." While he waited for her to say something else, he watched Pikachu leap over to Charlie and hop on her shoulder. "Well, we should get going."

"Okay." Turning to her mom, Charlie gave her one last hug and goodbye before following Gary out the door. "See you at Christmas."

When Charlie walked outside, she was surprised to see a shiny, red convertible parked on the side of the road. Thankfully, it appeared as if Gary had been smart enough to put the top back on, but it still didn't look very safe to Charlie. In the front seat, Ruby waved to her before leaning over to unlock the door. Throwing her bag into the back seat, Charlie hesitantly climbed in the convertible while Gary slid into the front seat. Pikachu took the time to circle a few times before resting comfortably on Charlie's lap.

"Are you sure this is safe?" she asked him as she observed the snow shoveled onto the side of the road. She could be wrong, but she was pretty sure convertibles were better suited for the summer and spring when there was no risk of sliding on ice. "It looks a bit icy…"

"See? I'm not the only one," she heard Ruby scoff at the comment.

"You'll be fine," he replied as he threw on his sleek, black sunglasses. Putting the keys into the ignition, Gary turned on the car. "We'll be there before you know it. It's only a forty-five minute drive. The party starts at seven, but we should get there at six. We have plenty of time. Don't worry."

"It's tonight?" Charlie exclaimed. "I thought you said it wasn't until Thursday. I don't have anything to wear for it and I was going to go shopping tomorrow."

"Yeah," Ruby chimed in. "What happened Gary?"

Gary just rolled his eyes. Ash wasn't kidding. Hang around Charlie for a bit and the Ruby part of her personality showed through.

"Well, I changed a few things. Last week I called Gramps to tell you-know-who to throw the party today, and then I called all of Ash's friends to tell them to be here today. I came up with a better idea than introducing her before the party. Plus, it gives us more time to spend with everyone."

Ruby just groaned in annoyance. Something told her she was going to be there a little longer than two days. This was not fair.

"I still don't have anything to wear, though," Charlie reminded him. "If we turn around now, I can see if I can find something."

"Already covered," he told her. "I only found out today it's a little formal but I couldn't get a hold of you, so I called May. Her and Dawn went out shopping to get you something to wear."

Without another word, Charlie found herself gripping the side of the door as the car went speeding forward. Poor Pikachu was sent rolling off Charlie's lap and onto the floor. _Maybe I'll get to see you after all, Dad._

"Gary!" Ruby yelled as the car lurched forward, sending her unbalanced body forward. "For god's sake, I just met my daughter after seven years! Please, don't injure her!"

"You worry too much, Rubes," he replied, flashing her a smile.

Charlie giggled a bit despite the fact she was clinging on for her life.

In a blur the city of Viridian flew by as they sped down the city road and onto a more country looking one that would take them to Pallet. To Pikachu, Ruby and Charlie's relief, Gary slowed down a bit once they hit the country road because it was too curvy and windy to travel on at high speeds. At this time, too, Gary decided to turn up the music in his car.

* * *

><p><strong>I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I wish you a Happy Halloween! I've started working on the next chapter, so-if things go smoothly-it should be up by the end of the week. In the next one everyone's back and together for the first time! Plus, Gary's alternate plan will be revealed.<strong>


	15. The Gardener

Clausthemaskedman: I don't have a YouTube account, and I'm not really sure what a hack video is, but if you wouldn't mind, I really appreciate it if you explained it to me.

Readleaf: As much as it would be interesting, Ruby is not an actual character on the show or in the games. She's just based off the idea that there is some female character who lived in Pallet in the games_._

A/N: The movie reference in her, The Legend of the Pokemon Knight, refers to an episode that aired, I believe, two week ago. Just so you know, Ash, Cilan and Iris help a kid name Luke make his movie, and it turns out to be pretty successful. The episode has the movie name it it, too. Hope that clears some things up.

* * *

><p><em>This is the best thing<em>

_The best thing that could be happening_  
><em> And I think you would agree<em>  
><em> The best thing is that it's<em>  
><em> Happening to you and me<em>

"Hey! This is where I got my Charmander!" Charlie exclaimed, as Gary pulled into a winding road.

She turned to gaze out the window while Pikachu climbed on her shoulder to get a better look. It had been almost a whole year since she had last been to Pallet. The lab at the top of the hill was huge, and the giant turbine stood out in the sky as it rotated through the snow. When they got closer, Charlie could see that the exterior of the lab had been decorated with some Christmas lights of various colors.

This only made Gary laugh. "This is where I got my Squirtle, and Ruby got her Bulbasaur, right Ruby?"

"Right," she nodded. "'Cause Bulbasaur's the best!"

"Tree huger," Gary teased her. "Anyways, your dad got Pikachu because he slept through his alarm and got there really late. When he arrived, Pikachu was the only Pokemon left," Gary explained, snickering a bit. "I was still around to see him show up in his pajamas, but Ruby had already left that morning."

Charlie just slowly nodded her head, not really listening so much. She was more intrigued by the lab and all the people that would be waiting for her there. Some of them she hadn't seen in a year, while others it had been a month. Nonetheless, though, it felt like forever since she had seen them, and she missed them.

The car came to a stop at the top of the driveway. Putting it into park and shutting it off, Gary opened the door and hopped out of the car. Following his lead, Charlie opened her own door and her and Pikachu slid out. Ruby was close behind them, having to grab the last bag. Hoping to get out of the cold as fast as she could, Charlie pushed her way to the door and ran in after Gary opened it for her. The entire inside was decorated with Christmas décor of all different kinds, and she could have sworn she heard Christmas Music coming out of one of the rooms. As she stood there facing Gary, waiting for him to tell her what to do or where to go, she heard footsteps behind her.

"Ah, good. You're here," Professor Oak greeted them. Despite the fact it was a more formal party, he was dressed in his white lab coat.

"Hey Gramps," Gary greeted his grandfather. "Where's everyone?'

"They're upstairs getting ready. Delia ran to the store, but she should be back shortly." Brushing past him, Gary led the way with Charlie following behind him. A second later, Ruby walked through the door, shutting it behind her. When she turned around and saw Professor Oak, she bit her lip in nervousness. She was hoping she would have been able to avoid people like Professor Oak and Ms. Ketchum for a while. Professor Oak on the other hand, gave her a warm and inviting smile. "Ah, Ruby my dear. It's nice to see you again. Welcome back to Pallet Town."

"It's nice to see you, Professor," she replied. Slinging her bag over her shoulder, she leaned in to give him a hug. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Indeed it has," the Professor agreed. "Gary headed upstairs with Charlie. I believe everyone is getting ready there."

"Oh. Thank you."

Brushing past the Professor, Ruby headed up the steps to find Gary and Charlie. She didn't get far, though, the Professor's voice stopping her in her tracks.

"Oh, and Ruby," he called, turning around to face her. "I really enjoyed meeting your daughter. She really takes after you and Ash, although, it's a pity she picked a fire type. I thought she would go for the grass like her mother."

After that he proceeded to walk back into his lab, while Ruby stood rooted to her spot. _How does he know? _Gary had told her he hadn't said anything to anyone. Shaking herself out of her little brain freeze, she ran to catch up with Gary and Charlie.

When Charlie and Gary reached the top of the stairs, Gary led her down the small hallway as he tried to figure out which room everyone was in.

At the sound of new voices, Dawn poked her head out of one of the rooms to see who was up here. When she saw Charlie standing in the hallway, her eyes lit up in excitement. "May! Quick, Charlie's here!" Dawn yelled back into the room. "Charlie! You're here!" Dawn cried, racing over to her with May not far behind. Dawn crushed her into a big hug before releasing her. Her face had a huge smile on it and she was already dressed up for the party. "How are you doing? You find everyone, yet?"

"Hey Charlie! Dawn and I got a dress for you today," May explained as she handed over a shopping bag. "I hope you like it. We had fun picking it out."

"Yep!" Dawn agreed. "I'm so glad Ash had a girl! Now we have someone other than ourselves to buy clothes for. Right, May?"

"Yep! Much better than a younger brother."

Charlie smiled as she took the bag from May. Opening it up, she peered inside, but the dress was covered by large quantities of tissue paper. Setting it on the floor, she removed all the coverings and pulled out the dress. It was a green, A-line, sleeveless dress that reached just above her knee and had a red ribbon in the middle. As she dug deeper into the bag, she found a matching red and green, plaid headband.

"Wow, this is really pretty! Thanks for getting me this."

"No problem! I'm glad you like it," May replied. "You should hurry up and get ready. Everyone else is downstairs. We were just waiting up here until you arrived."

That explained why nobody else was there. _Guess the Professor was wrong. _Throwing the contents back into the bag, Charlie let Dawn and May lead her back into the room so she could get ready.

Meanwhile, Ruby reached the top of the steps and spotted Gary standing in the hallway. When he saw her, he raced over.

"We need a plan," he told her. "Ash's friends don't know who you are, and I doubt you want to blow the big secret right out of the gait. So, we need a plan for now until we tell them the truth."

"Oh. Um…" Ruby placed her finger on her chin, trying to come up with a plan. The obvious solution would be for her to pretend she was Gary's girlfriend, but that would be weird. "I could just be an old traveling partner of yours?"

"You mean one of my cheerleaders from when I was younger," he smirked. "I know how you always wanted to be one."

Ruby was repulsed. She would never sink so low as to say she was one of Gary's cheerleaders. That was like a death wish on her intelligence and credit of a decent human being.

"Heh heh," Gary laughed nervously, noticing the death glare Ruby was giving him. "Traveling friends it is."

When they walked into the room, Gary was surprised to see that it was only Dawn and May._ Where's everyone else?_ When May and Dawn saw Ruby and Gary enter, their eyes widened in shock. While May immediately ran over to greet them, Dawn stayed behind and stared at Ruby. Without any introductions, she knew who she was, but what puzzled Dawn was what Ruby Hamilton was doing at a Christmas party in Pallet?

"Oh my god!" May gushed as she stood in front of Ruby. Her blue eyes sparkled in excitement as she admired Ruby. "You're Ruby Hamilton! You're such a great coordinator. I've watched all your battles. I just love your Leafeon. Its appeals are executed so perfectly!"

"Oh, thank you," Ruby replied shyly. She knew she was a well-known coordinator throughout the regions, but she was always shy when she received lots of attention for it. In her mind, she was just doing something she loved.

"Hi, Ruby," Dawn finally greeted her. "How do you know Gary?"

"Ruby and I used to travel together," he explained, speaking through his lie with ease.

"Really?" Dawn asked, surprised to hear it. "Did you live here in Pallet?"

"Dawn, stop interrogating her," May scolded her friend. "Dinner's in twenty minutes and she isn't ready yet."

"Sorry," Dawn apologized. She could always ask Ruby about it later.

"Don't worry."

"Well, I promised Ms. Ketchum that I would finish setting the table," May announced. "It was nice talking to you guys. See you down there. Come on, Dawn!"

After pointing out where Ruby and Gary could change, May and Dawn ran out of the room and headed downstairs to help finish setting up for the party.

OOOO

"Hey Charlie, do you mind waiting here for a few moments?" Gary asked her. They were all dressed and ready to head to dinner, but there was one thing Gary had yet to do.

"That's fine."

"Thanks. I'll come and get you, okay?" She nodded and went over to sit on the couch that was sitting in the room. Lightly grabbing Ruby's wrist, Gary pulled her out of the room and into the hallway. Halfway down, he stopped and turned to face her. "You ready to meet her?"

"No."

Despite her protests, Gary lightly dragged Ruby with him down the stairs to go find Ms. Ketchum. The minute Gary had announced that when they were finished getting ready they would go find Ms. Ketchum, her anxiety had been building. She wasn't ready for this. Not by a long shot. When they reached the bottom of the steps, Gary spotted Ms. Ketchum and his grandfather walking out of the research part of the lab.

"Well hello Gary," Professor Oak greeted his grandson.

Ruby held her breath. She could feel her heart beating, as Ms. Ketchum seemed to turn around in slow motion. Recognizing who Ruby was, she gasped as she threw her hands over her mouth.

"Hi Ms. Ketchum," Ruby weakly greeted the woman, knowing she was probably too shocked to say anything. "Long time no see, huh?"

"Ruby!" Ms. Ketchum cried in happiness. Removing her hands form her face she rushed forward to envelop her in a hug. As Ms. Ketchum hugged her with all her might, Ruby began to remember just how strong Ms. Ketchum actually was, and how bone crushing her hugs could be. Finally, to Ruby's relief, Ms. Ketchum pulled away, keeping her hands on Ruby's shoulders. "It's so wonderful to see you! It's been so long."

" I know," Ruby replied, not quite sure what else she should say. "I'm sorry to just spring up out of the blue like this."

"Ruby don't be silly," Ms. Ketchum laughed, placing a hand on Ruby's cheek for a brief moment. "You're always welcome here no matter what. I'm just so glad to see you. I've missed you very much."

"Thank you Ms. Ketchum," Ruby smiled back. "I've really missed you, too. And your cooking."

"We come all the way to Pallet and the thing you miss is Ms. Ketchum's cooking?" Gary replied, shaking his head at her odd choice of priorities. While he would admit that Ms. Ketchum was one of the best cooks he'd ever encountered, he would have thought that Ruby would have missed something a little more meaningful. "Then again, you were the only one who could compete with Ash when it came to eating the most food."

"Yeah, well," Ruby shrugged, "someone has to make up for his absence."

"I'm sure he would appreciate that, Ruby. I know it would do me some good, too," Ms. Ketchum smiled. It was an odd gesture, but it was something Ms. Ketchum needed. Empty plates and third and even fourth helpings of foods were things she never thought she would miss. Ever since Ash had passed away, though, she dreamed of a day when she wouldn't have any leftovers. "Could you throw in some bad manners for me, too?"

"Sure thing, Ms. Ketchum."

"Lovely. Now, enough about food," Ms. Ketchum replied, bouncing right on to the next topic. "How about you tell me how you're doing? It's been so long. Are you married, yet? Any kids?"

For a brief moment, Gary and Ruby shared a glance between each other. _Children? Oh, just your granddaughter, Ms. Ketchum._ Ruby blushed, pretending to be slightly embarrassed by the question. "No. I've dated a few people, but it didn't work out."

"Don't give up hope," Ms. Ketchum replied, giving her a sympathetic smile. "You'll find someone, dear."

"Maybe," Ruby replied, not sure if she totally believed it. "We'll see. Being on my own isn't necessarily horrible either, though."

"You always were the independent one, weren't you?" Ms. Ketchum chuckled.

The conversation died there, allowing for a tiny pause of silence for Ruby, Gary or Ms. Ketchum to think of something to say. Gary took this time to excuse himself so that he could go get Charlie. He could tell Ruby and Ms. Ketchum needed some time to themselves, and he didn't want to leave Charlie sitting up there for a long time.

"So how have you been?" Ruby finally asked after Gary walked away.

"Me? Oh, I've been fine. Things just haven't been the same around here, though." Ms. Ketchum closed her eyes for a second. It had been years and she was over getting emotional at the mere thought of her son. She was strong now. "I miss him so much, Ruby. He should be here with his friends, enjoying the party. Not stuck in some old and musty grave. That's not my Ash."

"Ms. Ketchum…"

"I know I'm not the first parent to lose a child, but when he died, I felt like I lost everything. He may have been twenty-four, but he was my baby. And without him I have no other family. I'll never get grandkids either."

It took every ounce of Ruby's strength to keep her from telling Ms. Ketchum about Charlotte. If Ms. Ketchum knew the truth about Charlotte, Ruby knew she could bring back that smile that once graced Ms. Ketchum's face.

"Ms. Ketchum, do you believe in Christmas miracles?" Ruby asked. If she was going to try and make Ash's mother feel better without revealing the big secret, she was going to twist things a bit. Ms. Ketchum told her she didn't know, but Ruby marched forward. "This year, give it a chance. You might be surprised what happens."

"Thank you, Ruby." Letting the conversation end there, Ms. Ketchum gave Ruby a big smile. "Now how about we go enjoy ourselves a nice meal?"

"Sounds good."

Ruby followed Ms. Ketchum into a giant room that had huge glass windows and the biggest table she had ever seen. When she walked into the room, the people at the table all stopped what they were doing to look at her. She couldn't remember the majority of their names, but she recognized most of them from the photos that had been sitting on Ash's desk.

By the look on the people's faces, she could tell that most of them had no clue who she was or what she was doing here. If there was anytime where she felt awkward to be somewhere, it was now. She really wished Gary hadn't left.

Suddenly, Ruby heard the screech of a chair as someone got out of it and ran towards her. As she looked up and saw who was headed toward her, she panicked a bit. She knew she recognized the man from somewhere other than the photos, but she couldn't put her finger on it. She felt herself freak out even more when the man grabbed her hand and started flirting with her.

"I knew Santa would answer my wish. I asked him for the most beautiful girl ever and here you are," Brock swooned. He was kneeling on one knee as he held Ruby's hand in his own. "It is fate that has brought us together, or maybe even some Christmas magic. If you accept, we can see how much further fate-"

Before Brock could finish his sentence, another boy walked up and grabbed his ear. "Fate could not have been more wrong, Brock," Max sighed as he dragged Brock away from Ruby and back to his seat. Meanwhile at the table, Dawn, May and Misty just rolled their eyes. "I'm so sorry."

_Brock!_ Now Ruby remembered who he was. He was Ash's friend who was there that night they ran into each other. She really hopped he didn't remember who she was and make the connection.

Without missing a beat, Ms. Ketchum carried right alone. "Everyone, I'd like to introduce you to Ruby Hamilton. She's an old friend of Ash's. They grew up together."

_She said she was an old traveling partner of Gary_. Dawn eyed Ruby suspiciously, not sure what to believe about this girl. _Why would she lie about growing up here? _

From what Ruby could tell, Ms. Ketchum was standing at one end of the table, while Professor Oak was seated on the opposite end. Between them were Ash's friends, who Ms. Ketchum started introducing her to, beginning with the person on her right. "Ruby, this is Drew and his girlfriend, May, who traveled with Ash through Hoenn. Next to her is Dawn, then Max, who's May's little brother. Next to him are Tracey and his girlfriend Daisy. You know the Professor, of course. Then there's Brock, Misty's boyfriend, Rudy, Misty, and finally Cilan and his wife Iris." Pointing to two empty spots at the table next to Iris, Ms. Ketchum informed Ruby she could sit there. "Once Gary joins us, he can take the other empty seat."

Just then, Gary walked into the room with Charlie close behind him. Pikachu, as he always seemed to be, was perched on Charlie's shoulder. "Sorry we're late."

At the sight of Charlotte, Ms. Ketchum immediately walked up to the girl and leaned down in front of her. "Hello there, Pikachu," Ms. Ketchum greeted him as she patted the Pokemon on the head. After, she turned back to Charlie. "Who's your new friend?"

"I'm Charlie West," Charlie introduced herself, making sure to neglect saying her real last name.

"Well, welcome to Pallet, Charlie. I'm Delia Ketchum, but you can call me Delia or Ms. Ketchum."

"Ms. Ketchum?" Charlie stumbled over her words, her eyes growing wide.

As Ms. Ketchum nodded in confirmation, Charlie could only gawk at her. While Ms. Ketchum had reddish-brown hair that looked just like her own, it was her eyes that caught Charlie off guard. They were a deep brown that she had only attributed to her dad and herself. In her face, Charlie could see the similarities Ms. Ketchum shared with her dad. She was pretty sure Ketchum wasn't a very popular last name, nor was there probably very many who lived in Pallet so, she knew there was only one way her and Ms. Ketchum would share the same last name. _She's my Grandma!_

"It's nice to meet you, Ms. Ketchum," Charlie finally answered back.

"Well it's nice to meet you, too, Charlie. I think there's an open spot next to Max if you would like to sit down."

Thanking Ms. Ketchum, Charlie walked over to where Max was sitting and climbed into the empty seat next to him. After sitting down, she just blankly started into space. She couldn't believe that the women who she had just talked to, was her grandmother. She didn't think her dad's parents were alive anymore. She had grandparents on Christina and Daniel's side of the family, but she'd never heard about having them on her dad's side. Regardless, this was her biological grandmother, who knew everything about her dad.

Snapping out of her daze, Charlie took the time to look at everyone at the table. For the most part, she knew who everyone was, but there were about three or four people she hadn't seen before. As she scanned around the table, she noticed there was one seat that was still empty next to Iris and Ruby.

"Well it looks like everyone's here," Ms. Ketchum announced. "Let's dig in!"

"Ms. Ketchum," Charlie called from her part of the table. "There's still one seat left. Shouldn't we wait for them?"

Charlie started to worry a bit as she saw Ms. Ketchum's cheery smile change into a frown that reflected worried even more when it seemed everyone around her looked down at their plate or other items on the table like they were the most interesting thing in the world. What did she say? Was there someone who was supposed to be there that wasn't? Were they coming and then backed out at the last minute?

"Never mind. I'm sorry if I said something I shouldn't have," Charlie apologized.

Hearing her apologize, Ms. Ketchum quickly turned her frown into a sympathetic smile. "Oh, don't worry about it Charlie. You just don't know. It's completely understandable," Ms. Ketchum assured her. "My son passed away when he was young, but I still like to set out a plate for him each year."

"Oh." Charlie felt horrible. Of course she knew whom Ms. Ketchum was talking about, but she still felt bad about asking. Maybe if someone had warned her who the plate was for beforehand, she would have been able to avoid the awkward and uncomfortable silence that fell upon everyone. "I'm sorry about your loss, Ms. Ketchum."

She could see the other people at the table giving her sympathetic looks. It was obvious Ms. Ketchum didn't know who she was, but everyone else did, so they knew what she was going through as well. That the person Ms. Ketchum had lost, and who was supposed to be occupying the empty seat, meant just as much to Charlie.

"Thank you, Charlie." Ms. Ketchum paused for as second to recompose herself. "Now Brock and Cilan have spent all day cooking this meal, and I wouldn't want to let it go to waste. So, everyone let's dig in."

Charlie observed the food sitting on the table in front of her. At the sight of it, her mouth watered in anticipation for all the delicious food scattered amongst them. How could she be sad with all this delicious food in front of her? She didn't know where to dig in first. Grabbing her plate and a smaller one for Pikachu, she started piling food onto her plate. Before even tasting the food, she had a feeling that if Brock and Cilan had cooked any of this, it was going to be delicious. From her shoulder, Pikachu pointed to all the food he wanted Charlie to get for him. She knew he probably shouldn't be eating a lot of human food, but it was a special occasion and it would be her way of saying thanks for all his hard work.

Once she got all the food she wanted for now, she set the plates back on the table and let Pikachu climb onto the table so he could enjoy his food. Just as she suspected, the food was exquisite in its taste and flavor. Her mom might have been a pretty decent cook, but this food topped hers by a long shot. You just couldn't beat Brock and Cilan. She would one day prove that to Grayson.

"Hey, Pikachu!" Charlie called. "The combination of the zesty sauce, the flavor filled with spices and the texture of the noodles makes for a perfect meal," she exclaimed, trying to mimic Cilan. Pikachu shook his head, embarrassed to be around Charlie. She, on the other hand, couldn't help herself as she exploded into giggles. It was too much fun.

"I heard that," Cilan called from across from her. "And your impression needs work."

"Whoops," she muttered under her breath. She had forgotten Cilan was sitting across from her. She couldn't stop giggling, though. Of course Max was slightly confused, but Charlie noticed Iris giggling a bit, having understood the joke. "Sorry, Cilan."

Before the people at the table realized it, the sadness that had come from Charlie's question had disappeared as they enjoyed conversing with the others and eating the food Brock and Cilan had cooked for them. Charlie eagerly chatted with Max about how his gym was and about potential battle strategies she would want to use for both her last gym badge and the league in a few months. Tracey questioned her about if she had been practicing her Pikachu sketches and how her Pokemon were doing. She felt kind of bad when she had to tell him that she hadn't been practicing since she hadn't had much time with her dad's scavenger hunt. As for her Pokemon, she reported that they were doing well and that she had caught some new ones. To her surprise, Dawn didn't bother her much. She was more concerned with talking to May about contest techniques and asking Ruby about the girl Maggie they had met in Saffron.

Every now and then Charlie would catch someone's eye and they would share a smile or wave at her before returning back to their meal. She had been really happy to be home with all her friends and family, but she was just as happy-maybe even a little bit more-to be with all her dad's friends and family. Unlike the people back in Viridian, these were the people who knew her dad the way he really was. Instead of the four years he was in Viridian, these were the people who had known him practically his whole life. Plus, they understood what she was going through a lot better than Christina and Daniel.

"Who wants Christmas cookies?" Ms. Ketchum's voice rang through the room. In her hands she had a huge platter filled with various types of cookies from your basic sugar and gingerbread to ones with lots of sprinkles.

"I want some!" Charlie cried, practically jumping out of her chair. If there was one thing she loved about Christmas other than presents, it was Christmas cookies.

Her and Christina would always spend one afternoon before Christmas making them and decorating them together so she would leave them out for Santa. When she was little, she didn't get to do that sort of thing with her dad because he was always afraid he would burn their apartment down. Instead she would go to Grayson's house and make them with Grayson and his dad. Since her dad and her would usually eat the ones she made with Grayson long before Christmas Eve arrived, her dad would always go to the store and buy her some cookies to leave for Santa. After a while, though, she noticed he would only buy his favorites, despite her claims of what she thought Santa liked. Now that she was older, she understood why he had done that.

"Ah, it appears the aroma of the sweet, sugary, Christmas cookies calls her," Cilan teased Charlie as his eyes lit up as he went into food mode. "Maybe we should let Charlie grab some first."

"Or she's just taking after someone else who could never pass down cookies," Misty chimed in from a few seats down.

She had a knowing smirk, that indicated to Charlie exactly who Misty was referring to. Charlie didn't know why, but it was kind of odd to hear Misty talk to her. She knew Misty had talked to her when she first met her, but she was the only of her dad's friends who she hadn't spent the day with. She'd just challenged Misty to a gym battle, dropped off the letter and left. Hearing what Misty said, Charlie saw Brock smile, too

"Yeah. I remember one year he loved them so much he crashed into the table they were sitting on," Brock added. He leaned closer to Misty and lightly poked her on the side. "Or maybe it was because he was trying to get away after getting stuck under the mistletoe with a certain red-head? Remember that one, Misty?"

Her face quickly turned sour, silencing her at once. She did not appreciate him bringing that up. That had been one of the most embarrassing moments of her life. She had been so close to getting that kiss under the mistletoe when he had to go and freak out Ash style and run away.

"At least that's a much better trait to follow than jumping off cliffs," Iris added.

Charlie could only blush in embarrassment, recalling her last encounter with Iris. While it had seemed like the right idea in her mind at the time, she could now see how Iris had freaked out on her.

"That's a very good possibility, too," Cilan concluded. "I suggest you try the gingerbread cookies. My compliments to the chef."

"You made them, Cilan," Iris groaned, rolling her eyes. "But they are good. So are Ms. Ketchum's sugar cookies. I think May and Dawn decorated them, though."

By now the plate of Christmas cookies had made it's way over to Charlie's area of the table. Making room on her plate with her fork, Charlie latched onto the cookie tray and scanned it over, trying to decide what cookies to pick. In respect to Cilan, she picked a gingerbread cookie and set it on her plate before picking some more. When she was done, she had a stacked pile of Christmas cookies that probably consisted of about six different cookies. Like the food, though, she knew these were going to be good, making the anticipated stomachache totally worth it. Plus, she was a kid and it was a special holiday. Might as well live a little.

OOOO

After dinner, everyone helped Ms. Ketchum clean up the table despite her protests that she had everything under control and that they should go and enjoy themselves. When everything was cleaned up and put into the dishwasher, Professor Oak declared that it was time for presents. In the family room where everyone gathered, Charlie saw a giant Christmas tree that reached almost to the top of the ceiling. It was covered in lights and ornaments, while the bottom was surrounded with neatly wrapped presents with bows and colorful paper. At the sight of them, though, she felt bad. She had wanted to get her dad's friends presents, but since they had gotten there only and hour before the party, and she didn't even know there was going to be one, she didn't have time.

"Gary, I don't have any gifts for everyone," she complained as she followed him into the family room.

"I'm sure they'll understand," he told her. "Plus, if you want, you can always go shopping tomorrow. Technically, it's not even Christmas yet, and we have until Thursday before we have to head back."

"Okay," she agreed.

Tomorrow would give her plenty of time to buy gifts, and she was pretty sure she could get May or Dawn to take her without much effort. Plus, she had yet to get Christina and Daniel a gift. It would be easier to pick one out without them around snooping.

"Hey Charlie, come here a second," she heard Gary say as he led her out of the family room at the last second. While waiting for further instructions, she saw Ruby walk over to them, a big, red bow in her hand. When Gary saw Ruby, he turned to her and smiled. "Good. You ready for our plan?"

"I don't know," Ruby grimaced.

"It'll be fine," Gary assured her, taking the bow from Ruby. "It'll make her day, trust me."

"What's going on?" Charlie asked, not understanding anything they were talking about.

Before she got an answer, she was suddenly startled when Gary got closer to her face and she felt him place something on her head. Reaching her hands up, she made contact with the bow that had once been in Ruby's hand. "Why did you put a bow on my head?"

"You're a present!" Gary grinned back at her. Sticking his hand in his pocket, he pulled out an envelope and a note card and handed them to her. Upon receiving it, she examined it to discover that they were the ones that had come from the box with all of the pieces to her dad's scavenger hunt. "Stay here and read the clue. Pikachu, come with us."

After that, Ruby and Gary hurried back into the family room, with Pikachu, leaving her on the other side of the door. She could hear voices as Gary tried to quiet everyone down and get their attention. When the room was silent, he started speaking again.

"Ms. K," he addressed Delia, using the nickname he had created for her. "Ruby has a special gift for you, and she was wondering if she could present it to you first."

Ms. Ketchum looked at Ruby, slightly confused. "Oh, Ruby. You didn't have to get me a gift. You being here is a gift in itself."

"Trust me, Ms. Ketchum," Ruby assured her even though deep down she was scared. She was more than happy to bring Charlotte and Ms. Ketchum together, but she couldn't help but worry about how Ms. Ketchum and Ash's friends would react when they found out she was Charlotte's mother. "You'll love this gift."

"Well, if you insist…" While Ms. Ketchum wanted to be respectful, she couldn't help but get excited at the thought of getting a gift. Then again, who didn't love getting a gift on Christmas? And according to Ruby, she was going to love it. "I can't turn down your request now can I?"

Ruby smiled. "I'll be right back." Exiting the room, she left Ms. Ketchum in suspense, while everyone else had a general idea of what Ms. Ketchum was getting. What confused them, however, was why Ruby had said the gift was from her.

While Charlie waited for Ruby or Gary to come get her, she pulled out the clue for Pallet Town and finally read it.

_10. Pallet Town_

_Every life has a beginning and an end. 29 years ago in this quiet little town, mine began. The person you will meet was with me every step of that journey, no matter how far away they were. Like they have with every flower or tomato plant they grew in their garden, they gave me food, water and shelter and raised me with love and kindness-and a little discipline every now and then. When you reach my favorite place in the whole world find the woman called The Gardner and tell her this Christmas gift's from her little Ashy. _

Just as she was finishing up, she heard the door open as Ruby walked out of the family room. "You ready?" she asked Charlie.

"I guess," she shrugged. She wasn't really sure what was going on, but she was just going to go with it.

Taking one last deep breath, Charlie followed Ruby back into the family room. Of course, having not quite understood what was going on, Mrs. Ketchum found it rather odd when she saw Charlie walk through the door. When she spotted the envelope in Charlie's hands, though, she figured Charlie was just the messenger and would present her with the envelope.

As she shuffled her feet closer to Ms. Ketchum, she could feel Ruby gripping her shoulders as she pushed her even closer. She could also feel everyone's eyes on her as they tried to guess what might happen next. She didn't particularly like being the center of attention, but now it was obvious she had no choice in that matter.

"Ms. Ketchum," Ruby called, snapping Ms. Ketchum and everyone else out of their little daze. "Here's your Christmas miracle I was talking about."

Leaning down, she whispered for Charlie to give Ms. Ketchum the envelope. Handing it over, Ms. Ketchum took it with some hesitance, still trying to figure out the meaning behind Ruby's words. When she looked at the envelope, _The Gardener_ was written across it. _What in the world? _Eyeing Ruby with confusion, she broke open the seal and pulled out the letter before holding it in her hands.

"Ash, he um, helped me get this for you," Ruby replied, giving her a cheeky smile, trying to hide the embarrassment of her statement. _Did I really just say that? Oh jeez. Way to go, Ruby. _Once again, Ms. Ketchum just started at her, utterly confused. By now Ruby's face was bright red and she could feel herself sweating a bit."It took a while, but um, here it is. Yep! Merry Christmas!"

Gary snickered quietly to himself, amused by Ruby's slip of the tongue. "Nice going, Rubes," he muttered under his breath. She was never one who was good with words.

Giving up on trying to understand Ruby, Ms. Ketchum finally opened the letter and began to read it.

_Mom, _

_How are you holding up? I really miss you, and I hope you miss me, too. You're probably wondering why I'm writing you. You probably didn't even think I knew how to write a letter with my amazing ability to stay in touch. Ha. Um, anyways, I'm writing you for a very important reason. As you can tell, I'm stalling in telling you, which probably makes no sense since if you're reading this letter, it means that I died and Team Rocket was unable to save me. So what's the point in my stalling if I'm not alive anymore, right? (Sorry, that's probably inconsiderate of me to say to you. Then again, as you know, I was never one to display ideal manners, but you love me anyway. I hope.) Right, so, why I'm writing you. Well, um, you see, um, that girl that gave you this letter-reddish-brown hair, big brown eyes and a coincidentally similar personality to me-she's kind of my daughter. Correction, she's not kind of. She is my daughter. Merry Christmas? _

_I won't lie, I'm kind of glad I'm not around as you read this letter. I was afraid that when you found out, you would kill me or ground me for the rest of my life for slipping up like that. I remember you sitting me down when I was a teenager and explaining to me how you would ground me for the rest of my life if I ever went and made the same mistake you did. I know you said that you were still happy you had me with everything that happened later on in our life, but you still threatened to kick my butt if that happened. I'll spare you the details on how it happened since I know you'd probably be angry with me about that as well. Clearly shows I really listened…heh. I love you? (I can just see the disapproving glare on your face thinking about it.) At least you can't kill me. _

_Anyways, her name is Charlotte-Charlie-Elizabeth Ketchum and she was born on January 4th. (Oh, and if you're wondering who her mom is, just look at her and you'll figure it out. Here's a hint: I've known her since I was kid and it's not Misty, May, Dawn or Iris.) When I found out about her, I freaked out and started to panic. She was already one, which meant she was born right before I turned 19, and having a kid at that age was the last thing I anticipated-or wanted. I know I should have gone to you the minute I found out-or at least told someone-but I was too freaked out. I did follow your lessons of taking responsibility for my actions by going to where she was the minute I found out about her, but I went against those lessons, too, by running away from my friends and you. I didn't mean to hurt you through what I did, but I truly didn't know what else to do. I tried to work things out with her mom the best I could, but over time it became rather obvious that things weren't working out between us. I even tried to propose to her, thinking it was the right thing to do, but she said no because she knew that I was just doing it because I wanted to do the right thing._

_After that I was planning on returning to my journey and return whenever I could to visit them. Her mom misunderstood what I was saying and thought I was leaving for good, so she made plans to move her and Charlie. I don't know why, but I freaked out again when I caught her trying to leave with Charlie. I'd grown so attached to her, Mom. I couldn't just let her leave. I wanted her to stay with me, but I wasn't thinking long term like I should have. Her mom got mad at me and gave me Charlie before leaving on her own. I never saw her again after that, and she never returned. I know it's not her fault for what happened, and I'm not mad at her about it either. I guess I was just confused. I loved her, and I wanted more than anything to do the right thing so Charlie, her and I could stay together, but deep down I knew she wasn't the one I wanted to spend my whole life with. I just wish I could have seen her once more to make it up to her. I hated having to lie to Charlie about where her mom was because I knew exactly how she felt each time I lied to her. I didn't know what to do, either. I couldn't cook, the moms terrorized me because I couldn't fix her hair, I always seemed to forget she was at daycare, and I'm pretty sure I all around sucked as a dad. The only thing I seemed to be able to do was keep her alive, which I guess was an achievement in itself. I just needed your help so badly, but I had already dug myself into a hole of fear and I didn't know how to get out. _

_When she started her journey, I sent her on a quest to go through each city in Kanto to meet one of my friends. You're the last on her scavenger hunt, and probably the most important. As to why the envelope says The Gardener, other than a way to be sneaky, I picked this name because I thought it fit you well. When I was younger and you were forcing me yet again to go to the Xanadu Nursery to get you more soil, I asked you why you like gardening. I thought it was rather boring-I still do. But to this day, your answer stuck with me. You told me you like to take care of things and watch them grow into strong, healthy, living creatures. Well, just like me, you can take care of Charlie and watch her grow up like you love to. I owe you so much for everything you ever did for me and every time you stood behind me and supported me in my dreams. I may never have gotten to be a Pokemon Master like I hoped, but I got something just a bit better. She's really a great kid, and I love her very much, but I'm sure you already knew that. Take good care of her for me, Mom. I love you._

_Love, _

_Ash_

_P.S. Say hi to Mr. Mime for me, and please spare my daughter from reminders to change her underwear everyday. Please. Also, in here is a letter to her mom, so if by chance you happen to run into her one day, I'd appreciate it if you give the envelope to her. Thanks.  
><em>

Halfway through the letter, Ms. Ketchum started bawling, no longer to able to control her emotions. She knew she'd have to reread the end again, but she didn't care. The tears that streamed down her face weren't tears of sadness, but rather tears of joy. Letting the letter slowly float to the ground beside her, she leaned forward and gripped Charlie in the tightest hugs she could muster. Regardless of the fact that Charlie could barely breath because of Ms. Ketchum's hug, she didn't want her to let go. This was the closest thing she'd ever get to the loving embrace of her dad and it made her miss him so much more. This was her Grandmother. Her real, biological, living Grandmother. This was the woman she had wondered about if she existed for years. She knew her dad had to have some parent who was still alive, but she could never figure out where they were or who they were. Now, after years of wondering, she finally knew.

"Thank you, Ruby," Ms. Ketchum choked through her tears. _Thank you, Ash. _

Ruby didn't know why Ms. Ketchum was thanking her exactly. She could gather she had figured out that she was Charlotte's mother, but she wondered if Ash had told her what had happened between the two of them.

Meanwhile, over on one of the couches, Misty observed the scene before her with a heavy weight in her heart. When it got to be too much for her, she excused herself to grab something to drink. No matter how subtle she tried to make her exit, it did not go unnoticed by Rudy and Brock.

"I'll talk to her," Brock told Rudy when he tried to get up to follow Misty.

Sitting back down, Rudy watched with some concern as Brock followed Misty. He knew Brock was her friend, but Misty was his girlfriend. He should be the one helping her. He knew there was no use fighting it, though.

It didn't take Brock very long to find Misty. She was sitting on a kitchen chair with her head buried in her knees. He could see her shoulders shaking as they were accompanied by tiny sobs. Without saying a word, Brock walked over to her and rested his hand on her shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze. Sensing someone close to her, Misty lifted her head up to look at Brock. As he suspected, her eyes were red and slightly puffy, even though she hadn't been crying for very long. The tears that stained her cheeks had washed the minimal amount of makeup on her face away, and her bangs were hastily swept to the side.

"Misty," Brock called to her. Grabbing her hand, he lightly pulled her up and wrapped his arms around her. Loosening his grip on her, he continued to hold her as she cried on his shoulder. "Misty, what's wrong?"

Letting go of Brock, Misty slumped back into her chair, pulling her knees close to her chest. "That should have been me," she murmured just loud enough for him to hear.

"What do you mean?"

She turned to look at him, her frustration building a bit. "It should have been me making Ms. Ketchum happy. I mean did you see the look on her face, Brock? It was like Ruby was some freaking miracle worker!"

"Well, she is part of the reason Charlie's here," Brock pointed out. "You can't exactly count her out."

"But that was supposed to be my life, Brock," she snapped back at him, hitting her fist against the chair. Brock looked taken a back by her sudden outburst, so Misty took a breath and tried to calm down a bit. "I'm sorry, Brock. I didn't mean to you yell at you like that." she softy apologized, a bit embarrassed by her actions.

"It's okay," he assured her. "At least you're talking."

"I guess," she shrugged. "It's just, I love Rudy, trust me, but I've always loved him, too. I always dreamed about him finally telling me he loved me back, and then we'd get married and have a kid or two. I'd be the one getting to show off Ms. Ketchum's grandkids to her. But that never happened. I don't hate her, but seeing Ruby and knowing who she is, just makes it harder."

As Misty turned away from Brock, all he could do was frown at her. He wanted more than anything to try and help her, but he didn't know how. The only one, who could tell her what she wanted to hear, wasn't around anymore.

"He called me a month before he died," Misty revealed to Brock. Brock was shocked. He had thought nobody had heard anything from Ash until now, but apparently he had tried to contact Misty. "I didn't believe it when it was him, but the minute I figured it out I was ready to explode. I asked him where he had been, but he wouldn't tell me and insisted we talk instead. That just made me even angrier, so I started yelling at him. I called him a coward and a few other choice words before I hung up on him. If I knew what would happen a month later…"

"Misty, it's not your fault. You didn't know that would happen. Nobody did." Brock was trying his best to comfort Misty, but it was hard. "I think anyone would have been angry with him if he decided to call them up after so long, but refused to tell them where he had been."

"I know," she sighed. "I just can't stop thinking, what if?"

"Yeah. I know," he agreed. "But now we have Charlie here. She needs our help and God knows we need her. It'll be like having Ash around again." Pausing for a second, he laughed to himself before giving Misty a smirk. "Hey, maybe she'll even steal your bike."

"Not funny," Misty scowled. "He's lucky death got him out of that one."

"Maybe."

"Well, we should probably get back. I don't want Rudy and the others thinking I went crazy."

"Hey Misty," Brock called, stopping her before she walked out the door. When she was facing him, he continued on. "We all know how hard this is for you, but just know he would have been proud of you."

"Thanks Brock."

Misty led the way out of the kitchen and back into the family room. When they arrived there, the commotion had died down and Gary was starting to hand out presents.

"Ah, there you are, Red," Gary called when he saw her walk in. Picking up a present, he shook it before tossing it over to her. "This one's for you."

Catching the tiny box before it hit the ground, Misty clamped it between her hands before going back to sit down next to Rudy.

"Everything okay?" he asked her, still concerned about her sudden exit.

"Yeah," she replied, giving him a convincing smile. To convince even more that she was okay, she leaned in and gave him a tiny kiss on the cheek. "Everything's okay."

"Hey Charlie!" Charlie heard Gary call her name. She was sitting on the couch next to Ms. Ketchum, who, after discovering who she was, refused to let her leave her sight. She didn't mind much, though, enjoying every minute of seeing her grandmother glance at her and just start smiling. "These gifts are all for you," he told her, gesturing to a pile on the right side of the tree. "Either I throw them or you come get them yourself."

"Coming!" she called, leaping off the couch to gather her presents. With Pikachu's help, she carried the tiny pile from its spot near the three to right in front of her near the couch. Since she was still just a kid, she couldn't help but let her eyes light up at the sight of the presents. They were all for her! She'd definitely have to go tomorrow and get some gifts. Turning to Pikachu, she gave him a big grin. "Where should we start first?"

"Pika!" Pikachu cried, diving into the stack of presents. As he crashed into them they all toppled over, slightly burying him underneath. Popping his head out of the pile, he shook it before climbing out to safety. Walking around them, he began to sniff each one with care. Finally, deicing on a present with green wrapping paper on it, he pointed it out to Charlie so she could pick it up. "Chu!"

Reading the label on the box, she saw that the gift was from Iris and Cilan. Without a moment of hesitation, she tore into the wrapping paper. The first item she uncovered was a movie called, _The Legend of the Pokemon Knight_. She'd never heard of this movie before, and from the looks of it, it looked pretty old, claiming that the copy she had was a special updated version. As she flipped it over to read more about it, one of the movie characters caught her eye.

"Hey!" she shouted, pointing to the character, realizing whom he was. Hearing her voice tower through the room, everyone stopped to look at her. Charlie didn't notice, though. "Pikachu, that's my dad! He's the Pokemon knight. See?"

Pikachu scrambled onto Charlie's shoulder to get a better look. Sure enough, there was his trainer smiling back at him. It had been a while, but Pikachu remembered them making the movie.

"What? No way!"

When Charlie looked up, her eyes widened in fear as she saw everyone but Cilan and Iris trying to get closer to her to see the movie case. Since May was the first one who reached her, Charlie quickly handed over the case to avoid being attacked.

"Wow!" May awed at the sight. "It really is him!"

Before she could react, everyone crowded around her, trying to get a tiny glimpse.

"I can't believe he was in a movie," Max gushed in admiration. "That's so cool!"

"My siblings saw that movie and told me Ash was in it," Brock reported. "I didn't believe them, but I guess they were right."

"He looks really handsome in that knight outfit," Ruby commented. At the comment, Misty narrowed her eyes as she glared back a Ruby. She didn't notice, though.

"Back of Ruby," Gary bantered back. "You already had your chance, and you and I both know how that ended."

"Ha ha. Very funny," she snapped back, sarcasm evident in her voice.

"Um, can I have my movie back?" Charlie barely managed to squeak out amongst all the other voices.

"Oh yeah. Sure!" Dawn answered, snatching the video from May's hands and handing it over to Charlie. "We have to watch it later, though."

"Thanks."

Sitting back on the couch, Charlie waited until everyone else returned to their seat before opening the rest of the gift. As she opened it, she really hopped it didn't cause as much chaos as the last one did. If that was the case, it would take forever for her to open her gifts. Digging into the rest of the wrapping paper, Charlie pulled out a tiny box. Taking of the lid, she found a triangle shaped object.

"It's a dragon tooth," Iris explained to her. "It's from a Garchomp."

"Wow! Thank you!" _So cool! _Charlie squealed internally. While she knew she loved the tooth, there was no doubt in her mind that Daniel would like it, too. As a Pokemon Archaeologist, he went crazy over things like dragon teeth. Then again, so did she.

"Open that one next," she heard Brock request as he pointed to a package with Pikachu themed wrapping paper all over it. "It's from me and all my siblings-but mainly me."

Grabbing the present, Charlie set it on her lap before she began to tear away at the wrapping paper. Inside was a tiny book called, _100 Easy to Make Meals for On the Go Travelers_.

"I know you're done traveling through Kanto, but I figured you were planning on going other places eventually," Brock explained to her.

"Definitely," she replied, beaming with happiness. While she had managed to get by on the minimal things she knew how to cook and the meals Brock had given her, there had been a few times when she had to go through the day without a meal until she reached the Pokemon Center or some kind person. "Thank you, Brock. Tell your siblings I said thank you, too."

Setting Brock's gift on the couch next to her, Charlie moved onto the next gift in the pile. As the time passed, she slowly made her way through the gifts, making sure to thank each person for thinking of her. From May and Drew she got contest/badge case that had her name engraved on it, and a red rose that, according to May, was Drew's thing. Max gave her a Pokemon battling strategy book, while Dawn and Piplup gave her hair clips. She got a sketchbook and pencils from Tracey and Daisy, and a fishing pole and special lure from Rudy and Misty, who stated she should use them to catch something she'd never forget. Finally, from Gary she got her own key to the apartment where her and her dad used to live.

"Here," Ruby handed Charlie a small, unwrapped jewelry box. "From me."

"Thank you." Slipping off the ribbon that kept the box closed, Charlie opened it with care. Inside the box was a sliver, heart-shaped locket with a "K" on it. With the suggestion to open it from Ruby, she lifted part of it up and popped open part of the locket. What she found made her smile, but at the same time she felt that familiar twinge of pain. It was a picture of her and her dad from when she was little that Ruby had taken from the strip of photos she had found in Ash's desk. Out of respect for Charlie and Ash's relationship, though, she had cut herself out of the picture. With the help of her grandmother, Charlie took out the locket and put it on.

With the final gift opened, everyone else begin to open up the gifts they had received until there was nothing left but scattered wrapping paper all over the floor. With the help of everyone and a few trash bags, they cleaned up the mess and set aside their presents so they could go back to enjoying what was left of their night together. Before they settled back down, though, Professor Oak took this time to give Charlie and a few of the others one last gift.

"Sorry to interrupt," Professor Oak chimed in, standing up so everyone could see him, "but before I forget, I have a few gifts I was requested to hand out."

"By who, Professor?" Ms. Ketchum asked.

"You'll see," he replied, giving her a knowing smile. "Let's just say that shortly after he passed away, I received a letter from him, and in it he asked me to buy these for you three to give you on this specific Christmas."

Leaning down, Professor Oak reached down and picked three tiny boxes that had been sitting near the tree. Making his way through the small crowd of people, he started at the front of the room with Misty and Dawn. He handed the boxes over to them before finally handing one to May.

"No way," Misty gasped as she finished unwrapping her gift. As May and Dawn pulled out their gifts, they both had similar reactions, the two of them rolling their eyes and slightly chuckling.

"What is it?" Brock asked, leaning over to see her gift. When he did, he started laughing. "Oh. Well I guess that counts?"

"This!" she cried, pulling out a Christmas ornament of a bicycle, "Does not count as paying me back! I can't ride this!"

"Ah, but you'll always remember," Brock replied in a slightly airy voice as he grinned at her furious expression. "That magical day when you vowed to follow him until he paid you back. Three regions is a long time, Misty."

"Do you know how much bikes cost?" Misty growled at him. "I needed that bike."

"Well you got it," Brock reminded her. "And Ms. Ketchum got a granddaughter. Everyone's happy!" Realizing Misty and Ms. Ketchum finally got what they had wanted for years, he sighed dejectedly. "Except me. I'm still waiting for that Nurse Joy or Officer Jenny under the mistletoe. Why couldn't Ash have gotten me that for Christmas?"

"Now that would be a miracle."

"Ouch Misty. That was cold," Brock frowned in annoyance. Despite his annoyance, her bike ornament couldn't help but make him laugh. "I can't believe he got you that. Is their a matching fishing rod ornament in there, too? You know? So you can go catch someone else to follow around for that long."

"Alright we're done!" Misty snapped at him, her face scrunching up in anger.

While Brock mercilessly teased Misty about her bike ornament, Charlie watched everyone sit around talking with each other, feeling nothing but happiness. Christmas back home had always been fun, but there was no denying that this was the best Christmas celebration she'd ever been to. She was even more grateful that she would get another day and a half with them before she had to head back home.

OOOO

After things had died down, it was getting really late and people were starting to get tired, Ms. Ketchum declared it was time for everyone to head to bed. It was determined that she would stay with Dawn in one of the spare bedrooms at Professor Oak's lab, while the others would either stay here or got to the Ketchum's house.

Once she had her pajamas on and had completed all her nightly rituals, she climbed into bed and pulled the covers over her. As Pikachu curled up near her feet, she pulled out her bag and grabbed the letter that would talk about her Grandma.

"What's that?" Dawn asked her, having just walked out of the bathroom.

"It's a letter from my dad. After I find a person I read this letter and he tells me more about them. Since I found Ms. Ketchum, I can finally read this letter."

"Really? That's really neat." Putting her toiletries away, she climbed into her bed. "Well I'm headed to bed. It was nice to see you again Charlie. I'll see you in the morning."

"Goodnight Dawn."

Once she heard Dawn's head hit her pillow, Charlie opened up her letter and started to read it.

_Charlie, _

_I wish I were there to see the magical day when Delia Ketchum met her one and only granddaughter. And let me tell you, it was probably magical. Since I was old enough to understand what she was talking about, she had told me day after day about how she couldn't wait until I was old enough to have grandkids for her. Well, I'm happy to say I was able to achieve that for her before I passed away, and while you were rather unexpected, you are my get out of jail-well almost-free card. How many times did you she look at you to see if it was some mirage? I bet it was a lot. But know this, Charlie. She will love you more than anything and anyone in the world. _

_I regret not introducing you to her or telling you about her when you were little, so I'll take the time to tell you a little about her now. For starters, she's an amazing cook, but I could just be being bias. She'll always excessively worry about you and assume your cliff diving everyday, but she'll back you up and support you in your dreams no matter what. She loves to clean and she will drag you into helping her with her motherly charm. And before you know it, you'll have cleaned the entire house and wonder why you feel so exhausted. Secondly, she has a Mr. Mime that helps her with all her daily tasks and who is scary similar to her. Warning: He will rudely wake you up if you are in the way of his cleaning. So watch out! And while we're at it, here's a second warning. My mom loves to garden, hence the riddle name, but if she ever asks you to run an errand for her relating to gardening, whatever you do, don't say yes. Run as far away as you can and don't say yes, Charlie. You'll regret it. I'm telling you this from firsthand experience. Just say no. Let's see… what else? Oh, she'll probably embarrass you and she'll insist on lecturing you in front of pretty much anybody. Her hugs are air depriving and bone crushing, but after a long journey, you'll oddly find yourself missing them. Like a super hero she'll be there for you when you need it, and she'll always seem to know what you're going to do before you do. Oh, and finally, for reasons I still have yet to figure out, if you call Professor Oak, she'll somehow always be there when you call._

_I know Christmas won't exactly be the same for you my mom without me there, so that's why I waited until now on your journey for you two to meet each other. You two will be just what the other needs right around now. I say this because just like you, I was an only child. And kind of like you, I grew up in a single-parent family. My dad left when I was little to be a Pokemon trainer, but he had yet to come back as far as I knew. So, basically, it was just my mom and I. I can only imagine how tough it must be for her without me. I was really the only family she had, and while my friends will do everything to make her feel better, I know it won't be enough. She needs someone like you, her granddaughter, who she can put all her time and energy into taking care of and spoiling. So, enjoy your relationship with her Charlie, and reminded her everyday how great she is for me._

_On another note, now would be a good time to tell you that I lied. At a last second decision, I have left you one final riddle. So, for real this time, open the next envelope and read the very last clue on our journey. _

_Love, _

_Your Father_

_P.S. In the famous words of my mother-I begged her not to say this to you-don't forget to change your underwear. God… now I really do sound like her. I thought girls were supposed to act like their mothers? Oh well…_

Closing the letter, Charlie pulled out the last note card and read it over, a sense of dread in her heart. This was it. After this note card and final letter, it would all be done. Her whirlwind of a year searching for people she didn't know would officially be over. Find the last person and she had won, if you considered completing his task winning. In a way she never thought, it took a lot of will power for her not to put away the note card and never read it. But she knew she had to for her dad.

_11. Indigo Plateau_

_This last clue is all up to you. You can choose to find this person before you compete, or after you are finished. The person you are looking for goes by Little Twerp, and is a proud member-I hope-and the daughter of the leader of Team Twerp. We didn't know each other for very long, but they taught me so many things I never forgot. If you need them, they'll be there waiting for you, but if you can't figure it out, fill free to open the letter to them. I won't count it against you. Good luck. _

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><p>Thanks for reading. Hope it at least made you smile or laugh.<em><br>_


	16. An Evil as Old as the Galaxy

I am truly sorry for the ridiculous amount of time it has taken me to update. School got in the way, and as you can probably all imagine, school comes first. But here is the chapter!

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><p><em>Do you wonder as you watch my face<em>  
><em>If a wiser one one should have had my place?<em>  
><em>But I offer all I am<em>  
><em>For the mercy of your plan<em>  
><em>Help me be strong<em>  
><em>Help me be<em>  
><em>Help me<em>

The next morning when Gary entered the kitchen, he was surprised to see Ruby all dressed up to go outside. It wasn't that he was surprised she was awake this earlier. Ever since they were kids, she had always been the early riser in the group. He just would have thought she would prefer to stay inside.

"Morning, Sleepyhead," she greeted Gary.

Rolling his eyes at her, he stretched his arms and released a large yawn. "Morning, Early Pidgey." Brushing past her, he grabbed a mug out of the kitchen cabinet and poured himself some coffee from the pot that had already been filled. Turning to face Ruby, he took a sip of his coffee before sighing in content. "So where are you off to this morning?"

"I'm was going to see my parents." At first he wasn't sure he had heard her correctly. She was going to see her parents? She hadn't seen them since she had left Pallet when she was ten, but it appeared she was actually going to do this. "I don't know if it's a good idea, though. It might be overkill."

He knew he had spoke too soon. Before he could even comment on what she had said, her doubts and worries were shining through. They were like a blockade that had been known to prevent her from taking opportunities or just enjoying her life.

"No, it's not," he assured her with confidence. He knew a part of her knew that this was the best thing she could do for herself. She'd already gotten her over two hurdles, and he wasn't about to let her give up. "You're already on a roll, so why stop now?"

"Because this is a bad idea," she told him.

"You don't know that for sure," he replied. "You thought telling Ms. Ketchum would turn out bad, and you ended up making her the happiest women on the planet. I think you should perform another Christmas Miracle."

"I don't know," she replied, her voice hesitating a bit. "I think one miracle per year is enough. I don't want to start letting people down."

Gary rolled his eyes. Again another one her personality traits that held her back showed through. "You always worry about letting people down, Rubes." Setting his coffee cup down on the counter, he closed the gap between them by walking over to where she had been standing. Grabbing her shoulder, he pulled her close to him. "You need to be more like me. Be selfish and care about yourself for once."

"Alright then," she nodded. Grabbing Gary's arm, she lifted it up so she could turn around and escape his grasp. "You want this, but since I don't and I'm caring about what I want, I'm going to stay here."

Narrowing his eyes, Gary grabbed her arm again before she could get away. "Nice try, but it's not going to work." In response, she glared right back at him. He knew she wasn't actually angry with him. She was just trying to prove that she was not about to back down. Plus, she was just mad that he wasn't letting her get her way. Softening his look, he tried to express a look of concern at her. "Ruby, what's the real reason you don't want to go?"

"Well, if I go there, I have to tell them about Charlotte, and about who her father is-you know, what happened and stuff?" Gary nodded, aware of what she was referring to. Biting her lip, she looked away from him and down at the ground. "They're going to want to meet her, but how am I supposed to explain that this is the first time I've seen her in seven years? How am I supposed to tell them that I don't even have a real relationship with my own daughter? That she lives with another family, and how there's another woman that she sees as her mom?"

"Hey," he gently replied, placing a hand on her shoulder, "You'll figure it out when the time comes. Just take things one-step at a time. And who says you've lost your relationship with Charlie? Ruby, just because you went away doesn't mean you can't try and repair things. There's still hope."

"What makes you so sure of that?" she questioned him, disbelief evident in her voice.

"Well, we may not have had the same relationship as you and Charlie, but Ash and I were the same way. I didn't necessarily leave him, but you know how badly I teased him." Ruby gave Gary a look as to ask where he was going with this. While she remembered how Gary treated Ash, she didn't understand the connection. "I constantly berated him and pointed out his every mistake and flaw to make myself feel better. But just like you did, through it all, I learned something. I matured and I started to patch things up with Ash. By the time he passed away, he and I were good friends. We still had our differences and we kept some remnants of our rivalry, but we were able to fix things."

"But this isn't Ash," she protested.

"It is half of him, though. And in case you've forgotten, she's half you, too. Besides, you and Ash were always close friends and you always knew him a lot better than I did. Just learn what parts of her are each of you and go from there. If you know those things, you can apply different ways to work towards a repair."

"I never thought about that," she murmured quietly. "I guess it makes sense."

"Of course it does," he replied, throwing her a cheeky smile. "I'm always right, Rubes."

"I don't know about that…" she replied, her voice full of hesitation.

Ignoring her comment, he pressed her for a decision. "So are you going to go this time?"

"Yeah, I guess," she finally decided.

"Good. If you come back and I find out you didn't go, I'm going to drag you over there myself," he threatened.

"Is that a threat?"

"No, Rubes," he smirked back at her. "It's a promise."

"Alright," she chuckled. "You've made your point." Taking a deep breath, she recomposed herself. "Would you like to come with me?"

"No, it's okay," he told her. When she frowned in response, he added, "You should go yourself. It'll be more rewarding."

He knew that she wouldn't think it now, but he had done a good thing for her. She needed this: seeing Ms. Ketchum again, seeing her family-this whole trip to Pallet Town. She'd gone through a lot in the past couple of years, and even though he didn't doubt she had good friends elsewhere, it was the people here he knew would be best for her. They all knew how she was feeling, and no matter what she did, they would love her unconditionally. And even though Ruby would never admit it, Gary knew since they had reached Pallet, she had started to regain a part of herself again. Before she had been lost, but now, back where she grew up and back where she shared memories with her best friends, she was starting to find herself again. This was her home no matter how far away she tried to run away.

"Okay, Gare Bear," she replied, throwing in his dreaded nickname. When he narrowed his eyes at her in disdain, she could only laugh. Knowing she had the ability to make Gary of all people flush in embarrassment at the mere mention of a name, made it almost impossible to resist teasing him. "Revenge is sweet, but I'm sorry. Do you forgive me?"

Could he forgive her? Of course he could. He always would. One look at her smiling face and he could forgive her for anything. It really wasn't fair. Her smile was so…and she was so…hot. No. She'd probably be angry with him if he called her that. That didn't mean he didn't feel that way.

He'd traveled around with his cheerleaders for a long time, but he'd never enjoyed his time with them as much as he was enjoying this short time with Ruby. If anything, her arrival had only made him realize how much he had missed her. Was it wrong for him to be a little happy Ash wasn't around? Him and Ruby had always been closer friends, sticking together when he wasn't with him. With Ash gone, though, it gave him the time he never had to become better friends with Ruby.

Sighing, he gave her a slightly lopsided smile. "You're forgiven, Roo Roo."

Instead of saying anything, she gave him a cheeky smile in return. "Alright, well I'm going head out. Last chance to come with me…" Gary stuck to what he said before, insisting she go on her own. Sighing in defeat, she stood there for a few seconds not saying anything. Suddenly, though, she leaned forward and lightly kissed Gary on the cheek. As she walked away, Gary stayed fixed to the spot where he was standing, not really sure what had just happened. Walking through the doorway, she took a second to poke her head back in. "Smell ya later, Gary!"

Her words of goodbye snapped out of his daze, but also left him slightly confused. Did she really just say what he thought she did? When he did finally process what she had said, his mouth gaped open and he whirled around to face the door she had just ran through. He couldn't believe she had said that. That was _his_ line. How dare she steal his line? He had always used it on them; she had no right to be using it on him. At the same time, though, his anger resulted more in pride than the fact that she had said his line. For as much as he hated to admit it, the words had seemed to fit perfectly with her voice. They had power over him when she said it. And if he could, he'd have her say it a hundred more times. It might have been his line, but he was considering make special accommodations for her. He wondered if she said Ashey-Boy the same way? Regardless of the way she made him feel, he couldn't help but smile, knowing she was finally facing her problems instead of running from them.

When Ash had passed away and he had found out about Charlie, Gary had made a promise to himself and to Ash that he'd make sure to help Charlie deal with the events in her life or whatever may happen. As he had learned over these past few months, though, Charlie wasn't the one who needed the help; it was Ruby. While Charlie had been able to move on and adapt to the life she now lived, Ruby had been lost since the day she left Ash and Charlie. Without Ash around to help her like he had since a kid, Gary was forced to step in. And through stepping in for Ash, Gary was finally starting to better understand Ruby as a person, one of the things being why she had picked up her habit of running away from her problems.

Ever since she left Pallet and cut off all ties with them, she's had no support system to help her through tough times, so the guilt and fear of her decisions and their consequences overwhelmed her so much, that she felt her only choice was to run away from the problem and hope it went away.

And when it came to her past and facing the people she had abandoned, she couldn't do it because she feared the disappointment they would feel toward her. As long as Gary could remember, she cared so much about pleasing people and never letting them down. While Ash wouldn't try to fix things with someone he was fighting with because he was too stubborn to back down or admit he was wrong, Ruby wouldn't try because she was convinced they hated her and would never talk to her again; that no matter what she did, she couldn't fix it. That's why she had so easily given Charlie to Ash when they decided to split. She was willing to sacrifice her happiness for someone else. But when Ash never came to visit her, she'd assumed he was mad because she had let him down. And without the support system and assurance that Ash had provided for her, she avoided facing her past.

OOOO

"I guess we're here," Charlie announced to Pikachu. Glancing at the sign in front of her, Charlie walked forward, pushing the gate opened. "I wonder where it is."

It wasn't a very big cemetery, but all the headstones seemed to look the same from where she was standing. It was a pretty small place with only a fence that surrounded the area and two trees. Due to this, the wind was a lot stronger than she had anticipated, and despite her coat being rather warm, the cold still seemed to be able to reach her. Pulling it closer to her, she made her way through the pathways, her boots leaving footprints in the snow. Her eyes glanced over each headstone as she passed by, looking for the one that she had come here for. Most of the names she didn't recognize since had never lived in Pallet and her dad had never talked about the people here.

"Pika!" Pikachu hollered from somewhere nearby. He was standing in front of a grave a few feet down from her.

Charlie walked over to him and kneeled down in front of the grave. Since it had recently snowed pretty hard in Pallet, part of the grave had been covered, but she could still make out part of the name. In front she could see traces of where people had placed flowers in front of the grave. They were slightly buried, but their bright colors stuck out under the white of the snow. Using her gloved hand, she wiped away the snow on the grave to reveal her dad's name.

_Ash Ketchum_

_1982-2006_

_Friend, Son, Trainer_

While the names accurately portrayed her dad, there was one adjective missing. Nowhere on his gravestone did it mention him being a father. She understood why it wasn't there, but it still bothered her. If anything, it showed just one repercussion of her dad keeping her a secret from his friends and family.

In the Viridian cemetery there was a grave for him, too. On that one it did indicate that he had been a father, but this was the one everyone who knew him saw. This was the more important one, but it neglected to mention his most important role. Maybe it hadn't been the most important role in their lives, but it had been in hers. Without her dad she didn't know what her life would have been like. They hadn't been together for very long, but the time they shared together would stay with her forever.

Brushing away the snow from the path, she tucked part of her coat underneath her and sat down. It was cold like she expected, but there wasn't anywhere else she could sit. Plus, so long as the snow didn't leak through her coat after it melted, she was fine.

Sighing, she stared at the grave in front of her. "Hey, Dad I don't know if you can hear me," she began before she realized what she was doing. "I know I probably sound pretty crazy talking to a stone, but I thought I'd try it." Pausing, she tucked a piece of stray hair behind her ear. Anyone walking by would think she was crazy if they saw her sitting here. Maybe she could close her eyes while she did it so it would look like she was praying, but you usually prayed in your head. Then again having the dad she did gave her an excuse for being slightly odd. "I don't know if you're watching over me right now, but if you are, maybe you already know that I've gotten all the way through your riddles. I just have one envelope left, but I don't know who it is. I guess I'll figure it out."

_This is stupid_, she thought to herself. _He's not actually going to know any of this. _

"You know, I'm kind of surprised there's no riddle or letter that told me to come here. I guess that's probably because you didn't know where they would bury you, huh? Did you know you were going to die? Is that why you wrote all those letters and sent me to all these people?" She paused for a second before she realized she was waiting for nothing. "Oh right, you can't answer me. I wish you could, though. I know you've been gone for a while now, but I miss you everyday. Do you miss me?"

She didn't want to, but she could feel the tears gathering in her eyes. She thought talking to her dad would help her, but it was also making her sad. Instead of getting the answers she wanted from him, she was talking to a piece of stone that had no capability to respond. She needed to hear his voice telling her everything was going to be okay and that he missed her.

"I won't lie, but I really don't want to open the last letter. I mean once I open it, there's none left; I'm done. No more note cards with riddles telling me where to go and who to look for. There won't be anymore people waiting for me in towns, and no more letters from you telling me who they are. I know I can read them over and over if I want, but it wouldn't be the same," she explained to him. "There was always something special and exciting about opening an envelope and learning about the person I just met form your point of view. It makes me wish I could go back to the beginning."

"I've even considered just giving up here and never finishing, but you always told me to never give up. Did you ever want to give up?" she asked. "Probably not. You're not the kind of person to just give up. Unlike me, you actually had a dream and aspirations. I don't know what I want to do. To be honest, if it wasn't for the people I had to find, I probably wouldn't have gone on a journey. Everyone expected me to follow in your footsteps, and I'm sure your friends expect me to want to become a Pokemon Master, but I wouldn't be good enough. They would all expect me to come back this amazing trainer, when I would do was fail them."

Glancing over at Pikachu, she outstretched her arm and started scratching behind his ear. She knew he liked it, and it helped her calm down and keep talking." In fact, if it wasn't for Pikachu and the rest of your Pokemon, I would have never won half the battles I did. I know I'm not you, and I still don't understand half the things he says, but I'm trying the best I can. I just wish people wouldn't expect me to be just like you. "

By now her body was starting to get cold and her tears were starting to freeze to her cheek. She just ignored it. She wanted to keep talking to make herself feel better.

"I learned about what happened between you and Ruby and where she really was this whole time. I know I was never planned; that you never knew about me until I was one and that you postponed your dreams for me. I hope it was worth it because I know it was for me. I'm glad I got to meet you."

Once again she locked eyes with Pikachu and smiled at him before patting him on the head. Giving off a content 'Cha', Pikachu nuzzled his check against the palm of her hand.

"Your friends have all been really nice to me, and I'm glad I met them, too," she told him. "May helped me when I missed you during the Princess Festival, Iris saved my life, and Gary showed me our old apartment." Taking a second, she brushed away the tears from her eyes. "You're really lucky to have friends like that. It's kind of funny," she lightly giggled. "Some of their personality traits remind me of you. Like how Max gets really excited over battles, and how Dawn assures everyone that they can do it and that it'll be okay no matter what." She found herself frowning regardless of the happiness she felt in telling him about the similarities. "But just like me, they aren't you."

Pulling her knees close to her to keep warm, she wrapped one hand around them and used the other to trace pictures in the snow. "An A for you-" Using one of her gloves hands, she took her finger and traced an A before dragging her finger through the snow to create an 'and' symbol, "-and a C for me." Next to the symbol, she used her finger to create the curve of the C. "Charlie and Ash," she continued on, tracing a heart around the two initials, "we may not be together now, but we'll always be two of a kind."

After that it felt like a dam had burst in her eyes. Any will left in her to try and keep her tears at bay had disappeared. They flowed freely from her eyes and down her cheek to the ground below. With each plop of a tear as it hit the ground, another one seemed to follow as if they would never stop. Her heart hurt, too. She didn't even think her heart could hurt from sadness, but it felt like someone was squeezing it and wouldn't let go. To hide her tears-from who she didn't know-she buried her head between her knees.

The cold seemed to disappear as she felt the person wrap their arms around her, pulling her close as they rested their chin on her head. She couldn't see who was hugging her with her face buried in their coat and her eyesight blurred by her tears. For all she knew it could be a complete stranger. It was even hard for her to pinpoint the voice with her ears muffled by her hat she was using to keep warm. Charlie knew she could look up to see whom it was, but right now all she wanted was the comfort this person was bringing her. And as she just sat there letting the person hold her, they began to run their hand over her hair in an attempt to sooth her crying.

For a while there she just let herself cry until she had ran her eyes dry. She knew she was probably running the person's coat with her tears and snot, but hopefully it was washable. Pretty sure she had cried herself to the point of exhaustion, Charlie made a feeble attempt to discover who was comforting her. Feeling her move, the person loosened their grip on her and let her move so she could face them.

"You okay, Sweetie?" her grandmother asked her as she brushed some hair out of Charlie's face, tucking it behind her ear. Her voice contained genuine concern and her eyes were filled with worry. Charlie just sniffled from the mixture of her crying fit and the cold outside. Sticking her hand into her pocket, Ms. Ketchum pulled out some tissues and offered them to Charlie. "Here. These might help a bit."

"Thanks," she meekly replied as she took the tissues from her grandmother and used them to clean her nose.

"No problem, Dear," Ms. Ketchum gave her an assuring smile. While Charlie blew her nose, Ms. Ketchum rubbed her granddaughter's arm in a comforting way. As she took a second to glance at her surroundings, her smile fell when she glanced at the gravestone next to her. "I've cried here a few times myself."

"I just miss him so much," she told her grandmother. Between her words, she sniffled a bit, still trying to calm herself down. "He should be here with me. He promised he'd be always be there for me."

Ms. Ketchum sighed as she felt a twinge of pain at the familiar words. He had once promised her the same thing. Pulling Charlie into a hug, she held her tight as she rubbed the back of her head, trying to keep her warm. Resting her head on her grandmother's shoulder, a small amount of tears still rolled down her cheeks.

"I don't know why these things happen, Charlie, but I have to keep believing they happen for a reason," she told her granddaughter.

"I never even got to say goodbye." She could feel the emotions starting to build up again, but this time she was determined to keep them secured. "He told me we'd see each other again, but we never did. I made it out but he never did."

As Delia listened to Charlie talk, it dawned on her that this was the part of the story nobody had ever told. While they had all thought Ash had been alone when the cave collapsed, it turned out Charlie had been with him. The police had never reported that they found her in the cave, so how had she been missed? That's when she remembered exactly who else was in the cave that day with Ash. _Team Rocket!_ They had to be the ones who had helped Ash rescue Charlie. She couldn't help it, but a small thought found its way in her mind. What would have happened if they had lost Charlie, too? No. She couldn't think of that.

As Ms. Ketchum looked past Charlie's shoulder, she saw Pikachu looking up at her with concern. She could tell that he was worried about Charlie and that he felt helpless because he was unable to help her feel better. Using her free hand, she motioned for him to come join them. After that neither of them said anything, Charlie just wanting to enjoy the warmth and comfort of her grandmother's hug, and Ms. Ketchum knowing from experience that sometimes there was really nothing to say.

Although the circumstance were different and at slightly greater stakes, Ms. Ketchum had found herself in this position several times when Ash was younger. From the days when he'd come home crying because Gary had teased him yet again, to the day when the Caterpie he had found ran away, she had been there to comfort him, holding him in her arms until his crying subsided. Even Ruby had come to her a few times, but for the most part it was mainly Ash. He had grown up, though, able to handle most things on his own without relying on her to be there for him and assure him things were okay. And even though he had told her it had been hard, he had managed to raise his daughter on his own, giving her the best life he could. With him gone, though, and Charlie still needing the reassurance every now and then, it was her turn to step up and be there for her.

After a little while, Ms. Ketchum felt Charlie start to pull away from her. Loosening her grip, Ms. Ketchum let her hands fall to her side as Charlie looked up. Even though her face still looked like a mess, she looked better than when Ms. Ketchum had first found her. When there was space for him to go, Pikachu immediately leaped into Charlie's lap and stared back at her.

"He was worried about you," Ms. Ketchum told her.

Smiling down at Pikachu, Charlie rubbed his head. "Thanks, Pikachu. You're a Pikapal." Ms. Ketchum couldn't help but smile at the name Charlie had called Pikachu. It had been the same name she had heard her son call Pikachu for years. Turning back to her grandmother, Charlie asked, "How did you find me?"

"May and Dawn told me. They said you had passed by here on your way to the mall. They figured when you didn't come back with them, saying you had to run one more errand, that you had come here."

"Oh."

"Don't worry about it, Sweetie," Ms. Ketchum told Charlie when she noticed she was starting to look apologetic. "Are you feeling better?"

Charlie slowly nodded as if she was still trying to decide her answer to that question. "I tried to talk to him. I mean I know he can't answer me, but I thought if he could at least hear me, then maybe I could tell him about everything that happened." After she explained to her grandmother what she was doing, it was starting to sound a bit odd. "I probably sound crazy."

"Crazy?" Delia chuckled. "Nonsense, Charlie. You're my son's daughter. You're bound to be a bit crazy. Plus, all of his friends are, so I would think it would at least rub off on you. And I talk to him too whenever I come here."

"What do you tell him?" Charlie asked out of curiosity.

"Well, I always tell him how much I miss him. I tell him how his friends and how his Pokemon are doing. And then I just end up telling him stories about his childhood, or about when he traveled. The other day I was telling him about when he was born."

"Can you tell me that story?" Charlie asked, not sure if her grandmother would. Since her dad had kept a lot about his childhood and when he traveled from her, she was always eager to hear a story about him from one of his friends. "Or you could tell me another one."

"I'd love to, Charlie, but how about we head back and I'll tell you one on the way," Ms. Ketchum suggested. "I wouldn't want them to send a search party out to find us."

"Alright, but can I do something real quick?" After Ms. Ketchum agreed to wait, Charlie pulled out a pen and paper she had grabbed before going to the cemetery. Scribbling a few words down on the paper, she took a piece of tape and taped it to the gravestone with a small smile. "I thought I'd return the favor."

As she stood up to leave, Ms. Ketchum gestured for Charlie to come closer. Knowing it would keep her warm, Charlie walked ` the short distance over to Ms. Ketchum and leaned against her grandmother's side. Wrapping her arm around Charlie, Ms. Ketchum pulled her close..

"What did you write on the piece of paper?" Ms. Ketchum asked her.

"Just a riddle."

As Charlie and Ms. Ketchum left the cemetery, Pikachu paused behind them, as if he sensed the presence of something else. And as a gust of wind blew past them, Pikachu twitched his ears before turning around just in time to see the note blow off the grave to be carried off in the wind.

_1. Pallet Town Cemetery_

_Hey Dad,_

_Here's a riddle for you. Find the answer._

_There's a reason for the world…_

_What is it?_

OOOO

Safely home-well technically, it was her dad's home- Charlie found herself sitting on the couch enjoying hot chocolate made by Brock, while the rest of her dad's friends lounged around. Dawn and May had been flipping through a coordinator magazine, while Misty and Cilan were discussing fishing techniques and where the best places to fish were.

On the floor in front of her, Iris was playing with May's Skitty, dangling the cat toy just out of its reach. Every now and then Iris would coo about how cute Skitty was and how much she wished she had one of her own.

By the stairs, Pikachu was having mini heart attacks as he tried to keep Misty's Azurill out of trouble. To Charlie's amazement, the little Pokemon seemed to have no fear-or respect for Pikachu's concern-as it leaped on top of the staircase and proceed to slide down it. After that it bounced around the family room, knocking things over.

"Pi pi pi!" Pikachu cried as he swooped in at the last second to try and push it out of the way, only for Azurill to hop away on its own.

After that, Pikachu was left trying to dodge-or catch-the falling objects. To save Pikachu from any other near collisions with falling objects, Charlie got up and scooped Azurill into her arms, carrying it back to the couch with her. Relieved of his duties of watching Azurill, Pikachu promptly collapsed in a heap on the floor. It was then that he decided that, as long as he was around, Misty was not allowed to have any more baby Pokemon.

"You're quite the trouble maker," Charlie told the little, blue Pokemon. As she said this, she couldn't help but wonder if this is how her dad felt when he was raising her. Just like Azurill, she had always seemed to narrowly miss the destruction she caused-obliviously to the danger she had put herself in-while her dad would always be the one who was left with mini heart attacks. "I think it's best if I give Pikachu a break from babysitting you."

"Zuuuu!" Azurill replied as it tried to bounce up and down in her arms.

"Something tells me your cuteness gets you out of trouble," Charlie told Azurill, tapping its nose with her finger. "But I'm not going to let that happen to me. I know how those games work."

"Azu?"

"That's right. I used to do the same thing to my dad, so I know your-"

Before Charlie could finish her sentence, there was a loud explosion outside. When she looked toward the front door, she started to see smoke surrounding the windows. Startles by the explosion, everyone in the house ran into the hallway to see where the explosion had come from. When it was determined that it was from outside, Brock led the group through the front door to see what had caused the explosion. Once the door opened, though, smoke began to fill the house, forcing everyone to cover their mouths.

"Azuuuuurill," the little Pokemon started to sob, scared by the explosion and commotion that had followed it.

"Don't worry, I'll protect you," Charlie assured Azurill, as she pulled it close to her body to keep the smoke out.

Before running after the group, Charlie searched the room for Pikachu, finally finding him hiding behind the couch. Extending her hand, she allowed Pikachu to climb up her arm and onto her shoulder. Grabbing a napkin off the coffee table, she handed it to Pikachu so he could use it to keep out the smoke. With them safely with her, she ran out of the room and through the front door to the outside where everyone else was. Despite them being outside, however, the smoke was still pretty thick, making visibility even worse.

"We have to get this smoke out of here!" Charlie heard someone yell.

"Pidgeot!" she heard another voice yell, followed by the glow of a red light as the Pokemon was released. "Blow away the smoke!"

As the powerful bird flapped its wings, the smoke started to vanish, allowing things to become clearer and for her to identify where she was in comparison to everyone else. A few yards in front of her, she heard the sounds of cackling laughter that could only indicate things were about to go bad. When she looked toward the sounds, she saw two mysterious looking figures hidden behind the screen of smoke. She could have sworn she heard music coming from nearby, too.

"We're here for the reunion, so if theythink were here for trouble..."

"We're certainly going to burst their bubble!"

Once these phrases had been spoken, there was a unanimous groan from Ash's friends and family. Suddenly, the explosion wasn't as scary and threatening as it had initially been. Charlie on the other hand, was still a little frightened, unsure of who these people were and what they were doing here. Thankfully, her dad's friends didn't seem very intimidated by these people, so she would have them to protect her.

"You've got to be kidding me," Dawn grumbled as she smacked her hand against her forehead, shaking her head. "He's dead! He's not even around anymore and they still want Pikachu!"

_"When I said I wanted things to be like the old times for Christmas, this wasn't what I had in mind_," May muttered to herself, a bead of sweat appearing on her temple._ "I guess it goes to show you should be careful what you wish for."_

"Instead of causing tribulation... " Jessie continued.

"We've undergone a transformation! " James carried on.

"Though it's way outside our usual range... "

"We're going to do something nice for a change!"

"Jessie!" she declared as she jumped out of the smoke and struck a dramatic pose.

"James," he added as he appeared with a rose cupped in his hand. Unlike Jessie, though, he dragged out his name, trying to make it sound more mysterious and romantic.

"Up till now we've been quite unscrupulous!"

"Being good good guys for once was super-dupulous!"

"Meowth! That's right!" Meowth finished, jumping in front of his two partners.

"Wobbuffet!" Wobbuffet chimed in at the last minute, lifting his hand to his forehead as if he was saluting them.

After proudly finishing their motto, Team Rocket found themselves slumping their shoulders in disappointment. Even with the smoke, the music accompaniment, and the use of their old motto, their routine lacked the same luster it usually had when they preformed it. To Jessie's disappointment, too, it didn't quite have the same dramatic effect it did without him there to yell their name at the end. It just wasn't the same Team Rocket motto with the Twerp not there to perform it for.

"Hmm...Interesting. They've changed up their motto," Brock observed, cupping his hand around his chin. "It's still annoying, though."

"What are you doing here?" Misty demanded to know, stepping in front of Charlie and Pikachu. Just in case she would need to use him, she gripped Gyarados' Pokeball in her hand. "If you're here to try and capture Pikachu, you're not going to get him."

"Look, Jessie," James called out to his partner, "the little, red-head twerp still has a nasty temper."

Misty's question only made Jessie angrier. "Were you not listening to our motto?" she yelled back at Misty, their tempers starting to clash. "We aren't here to cause trouble! We don't want your boyfriend's little rat!"

_Her __boyfriend__'__s__ little__ rat?__What__'__s__ that__ supposed__ to __mean? _Ruby wondered. Turning toward Gary, she tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention. "Why'd they call Ash, Misty's boyfriend?" she asked him

At this, Ruby watched as Gary visibly cringed. Even though she'd been fitting in well with Ash's friends, he had forgotten that she hadn't been there traveling with them. She wouldn't know about the inside joke about Ash and Misty's relationship; nor would she know about Misty's feelings toward Ash.

"It's nothing, Rubes," he finally told her, preferring not to talk about it. Plus, he wasn't really sure if it would even matter anymore. "Don't worry about it."

And without a battle or protest, she nodded her head and took his word for it.

"If you're not here to steal Pikachu, then what _are_ you doing here?" Brock asked them, trying to get to the bottom of their sudden appearance.

"Who cares what they're doing here. Can we just have Pikachu blast them off?" Max asked. His teeth were starting to chatter as he hugged his arms tight to his body to keep warm. "I didn't have time to grab my coat and it's freezing out here."

"Max is right. I don't want you all standing out here and getting sick. How about we all head inside and I'll make us some tea?" Ms. Ketchum suggested. Nobody could believe what they had just heard. Ms. Ketchum was inviting Team Rocket into her house? Even Team Rocket was surprised. They knew she was getting older, but they were all pretty sure she was still sane. "Come on now. Don't just stand there. Everyone inside!"

Knowing it would be a horrible decision to ignore Ms. Ketchum, the group outside began to file into the house, Max leading the way as he tried to escape the biting cold. While everyone else headed inside, Charlie lagged behind for a few seconds so she could follow behind Team Rocket, allowing her to get a good look at them.

As she stared at them, a million questions raced through her mind. Who were they exactly? Why did they look familiar; why were their names familiar? Why had Misty accused them of trying to capture Pikachu? What did they want and why were they here? Most importantly, though, how did they know her dad's friends? It was pretty obvious from the reactions of her dad's friends that they knew who this group was and were very familiar with these people. And if they knew her dad's friends, there was a pretty good chance they had known her dad, too. But if that was the case, where was the letter addressed to them from her dad? Why was there no letter from him explaining who they were? Was she even supposed to meet them? Did they know who she was?

Once everyone was inside the family room, the group wasted no time in sharing how they felt about Team Rocket's sudden appearance after ten years.

"Something seems fishy about you guys being here," Cilan contemplated. "I detect sour milk in your intentions."

"Yeah," Dawn agreed, folding her arms across her chest. "They look like they're up to something. Are you here to ruin our Christmas?"

"Can I just have Pikachu take care of this?" Max begged once again. "I've always wanted to blast off Team Rocket. I even have Ash's old hat!"

_Team __Rocket? _At the name, Charlie's breath caught in her throat. It was then that, within seconds, all her questions were answered without a single word from Team Rocket. And in an instant, a surge of emotions raced through her body. Anger, hurt, and utter disdain for the organization started to bubble up inside her as she clenched her fists and narrowed her eyes.

"You!" she suddenly shouted, startling everyone in the room. Everyone including Team Rocket turned around to see who had caused the seemingly calm and mild-tempered Charlie to start yelling. Without warning, she raced toward them, fueled by her anger and pent up emotions from years past. When she crossed the gap between them, she curled up her fist and punched James in the stomach. Granted, because of her age, she wasn't strong enough to cause any damage, but her punch still had enough force for James to feel it as he clutched his stomach in pain. She wasn't finished there, though. After delivering one blow, she attempted to go for a second one. Before James knew what was happening, he had become Charlie's personal punching bag. "This is all your fault!" she shouted as she continued to punch him. "He's not here because of you! You took him from me!"

While everyone else stood frozen to their spots, Brock immediately took action. Sweeping in to rescue James, Brock quickly intervened and pulled her away from him. Regardless of the fact that James wasn't even near her, she continued to flail wildly in Brock's grasp, persistent to break free. He couldn't try to grab her arms either because that would just allow her to escape.

"Let me go!" she screeched as she kicked wildly and tried to push Brock's arms away. "They have to pay for what they did! They have to pay for what they did to my dad!"

Hearing the commotion from the kitchen, Ms. Ketchum ran into the family room to investigate. What she saw worried her immensely. Brock was holding back her granddaughter, who had been perfectly calm minutes ago, as she screamed her head off and tried to break free.

"Charlie what are you talking about?" Brock asked, his voice a bit exasperated from having to fight her to hold her back. She might have been small, but she knew how to wear a person down. "Team Rocket didn't do anything to Ash."

"Yes they did!" she cried. By now the frustration had built up inside her so much that tears were starting to roll down her cheek. For once, though, she didn't care, her mind only focused on one thing. "They killed him! They killed him and now they have to pay for what they did!"

Brock, as well as the rest of the group, was confused. Team Rocket hadn't killed Ash. In fact, they had done the complete opposite and tried to save him. They just weren't successful. So what was Charlie talking about?

"Charlie, Team Rocket didn't kill him. They tried to save him after he got trapped from the explosion in the cave," Brock tried to explain to her. As he said this, though, he could feel her grow in anger and agitation. "They tried everything, but they couldn't save him. No one could, Charlie. It was too late."

"Liar! They're lying!" she snarled, her emotions spiking to almost rage like levels. By now her tears were uncontrollable and she could feel her body starting to tire from fighting against Brock. No longer able to keep on fighting, Charlie let her eyes do the talking. And if looks could kill, Team Rocket would be gone in an instant. "My dad didn't die because he got trapped in some cave," she sneered, pure hatred reflecting in her now almost coal colored eyes. "Team Rocket murdered him."

Everyone in the room turned toward Team Rocket, waiting for them to deny Charlie's accusations. Many of them thought that since Charlie was so young when Ash passed away, if she had been there, maybe she had mistaken Team Rocket's presence as having bad intentions. That since they were unable to save him, and because they were the last ones she saw, she thought they had intentionally killed him.

"It's true," Jessie finally answered, her answer sending a wave of shock and silence through the room. Team Rocket had gone years without revealing the true cause of Ash's death, but with Charlie here-an eyewitness to the account-there was no way they could hide the truth. Even Ruby was left speechless at the discovery that her best friend had been murdered. Why would Team Rocket want Ash? He'd never mentioned having any encounters with them while they were living together. What had he done to anger them so much that they would kill him? "but we didn't kill him. The other Team Rocket members did."

"Why should we believe you?" Misty demanded to know, her voice shaky and flustered. She couldn't believe after all these years her friend had been murdered. "It turns out you've lied to us for ten years about how he died."

At this, Team Rocket felt like their whole world had shattered into tiny pieces. Jessie was actually insulted at Misty's question, while James and Meowth were hurt.

"Look heres you twoip," Meowth shot back at Misty, "we may be a stinky group of criminals, but we ain't no heartless killers!"

"We really tried to save him," James added in an attempt to clear their name. Closing his eyes for a second, he opened them before looking down at his feet. "In the end, though, it was too late. There was nothing we could do."

"They have a point, Misty," Brock chimed in, much to the group's surprise. Why would Brock be standing up for the trio that had supposedly killed his best friend? "They are petty criminals, but they aren't heartless. They've helped Ash before, so why wouldn't they then? Plus, the only reason they follow him is to steal Pikachu. If they had killed him, then that would have been a perfect opportunity for them to steal Pikachu and the rest of his Pokemon, but they didn't." Turning toward Professor Oak, he asked, "They brought his Pokemon to you, right Professor?"

"That's correct," the Professor answered, nodding his head. "Not a single Pokemon except the ones with Charlie were missing."

At this, Misty and the rest of the group backed off a bit. There was no denying the facts in front of them. They all pointed toward Team Rocket's innocence.

"What really happened?" Delia asked, voicing the question they all wanted to but didn't dare be the first too. With new information about Ash's death, for many of them, it was easier to pretend he died in a cave then to find out how and why he had been murdered. An explosion in a cave was accidental and there was nothing they could have done. But being murdered by Team Rocket? If they had known where he was, they could have worked together with Jessie, James, and Meowth to save him. "What happened to my baby?"

Jessie frowned at Ms. Ketchum in both sympathy and frustration. She did feel bad for Ms. Ketchum. After all, the Twerp-Ash- wasn't just some kid who was a constant nuisance to their plans. He was someone's son, and he had a mother back home that worried about him while he was gone. Still, wasn't knowing he was murdered enough for her? Was she really going to make them retell the story of what happened, forcing them to relive the emotions and turmoil they had tried to forget.

"Please tell me," Ms. Ketchum quietly begged them, her voice the only noise in the room.

As Brock watched Team Rocket's faces as they fought with themselves over if they should give in to Ms. Ketchum's pleas, it was then and there he finally saw them as human beings with emotions and feelings. The entire time he had known them, he had just seen them as obstacles they had to overcome every day if they wanted to continue on their way. Sometimes they would decide to turn over a new leaf and help Ash, but for the most part they were never really thought of. But while he and the rest of Ash's friends had only been told that Ash had died, Team Rocket had been there when it happened. They had tried to save him, but no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't and it had greatly impacted them. Maybe they even blamed themselves for Ash's death.

"We know it's not your fault," Brock told Team Rocket, hoping those words would sooth their fears. "We know you did everything you could. We don't blame you for what happened."

Although it didn't complete console Team Rocket, it seemed to give them enough courage to share their story with Team Twerp. Sighing, Jessie slumped down in a chair.

"It's a long story, so you might as well get comfortable," she told the group of people in front of her. Once everyone had either sat down where they were or migrated over to the couch, they all locked their eyes on Jessie, James and Meowth. "Well, when we ran into him, it had been four years since we saw him last. When he had gone missing, we tried to search for him, but we gave up when we didn't run into him for a while. It wasn't until we went back to headquarters that we ran into him."

"He was one of the most wanted people in Team Rocket. They all hated him because he always ruined the team's plans to steal rare Pokemon. Annie and Oakley formulated a plan to capture him because they wanted to get revenge on him for ruining their plans to catch Latios and Latias," James explained. "After years of researching who he was and using eyewitness reports of what he looked like, Team Rocket finally tracked him down and captured him. They sent three top ranked members to go after him. We didn't see him though, until we sneaked into where they were keeping him."

"Boy were we surprised to find out he had a daughter..."

* * *

><p>Cliffhanger, I know. I'm really sorry! I don't normally like to put them, but it was the best way for me to divide up these chapters without it being extremely long. I'll try to get the next one out ASAP. You may have to wait a while, though, because I have exams next week...:( Sorry again.<p>

Also, If you thought Charlie's riddle looked familiar, it's from a song. Can you guess which one?


	17. To Die For

** Hoenn Master and anyone else interested**: I've noticed that in your reviews, you recommend songs I should listen to while I read the chapter, so I decided to return the favor. Here are two songs you can listen to while you read the chapter. (They are the same song, but one is the Broadway version and the other is from the movie.) I tried to put a point in the story where you should start the song, but while it may not line up exactly with the story, you should be able to figure out what part is which. And don't worry, you should recognize the song. ;)

**SONGS (You have to copy the links and search them in Google. Copying and pasting the URL won't work.)  
><strong>

http:/ www. youtube. com/watch?v=8vCNn6vOVQ0 (Movie Version) -This one fits better with the story.

http:/ www. youtube. com/watch?v=jTD9n7FkyVo (Broadway Version.) -I just thought this one is cooler musical wise.

* * *

><p><em>**For the purpose of this story, Pidgeot came back to Ash.<br>_

_Goodbye  
>Funny how that's such a hard thing to say.<br>Now it's time to let go but,  
>never thought I'd feel this way.<em>

_Promised not to be sad but,_  
><em>we both knew I was lyin'.<em>  
><em>Gotta fight back the tears 'cause,<em>  
><em>Can't let you see my cryin'.<em>

_You're more then just my best friend._  
><em>What makes me misty most of all,<em>  
><em>in our final curtain call.<em>  
><em>Is knowin' that I won't see you again.<em>

"It's going to be okay, Charlie. I promise," Ash tired to comfort his fear stricken daughter. Wrapping his arms around her he pulled her close to his body and rubbed her back as he tried to soothe her.

Once the comfort of her dad's arms wrapped around her, she buried her head into his chest so she could hide her face. So long as she couldn't see the things that were scaring her, she would feel a little better. Ash on the other hand just stared down at his daughter with concern and worry flickering in his eyes. He had never seen her this afraid before, and while he didn't blame her for her fear, he had to try and subdue her shaking.

_How did we end up here?_ He wondered as he moved to running his fingers through her hair. Sometimes when rubbing her back didn't comfort her, this seemed to work better. Frowning, he sighed as he continued to try and assure her that everything was going to be okay. In reality, though, he didn't know if that was the case. They were in a dangerous position, and their life-more his than hers-was hanging in the balance.

He wasn't ready to face the possibility that his life would end here. He still had so much he wanted to do, dreams he had to achieve, and a daughter sitting in his lap who would need him beyond this small fraction in her life. He had yet to tell his friends and mother about his daughter and how she was the reason he had left them that night at the center. He couldn't help but wonder if, had he told his friends, could they help him escape his current position and possibly save his life?

"Daddy," he heard his daughter squeak, her voice muffled a bit by his shirt. She twisted her head just so, allowing him to see her face that was covered in dirt and tiny scratches. "I'm scared."

"I know, Charlie," he replied, staring back down at her. He would never tell her, but he was just as scared as she was-maybe even more, but he doubted it. His daughter was his whole life, and a life without her was incomprehensible. "But no need to worry. Daddy will make sure you're okay."

As he looked around at his surroundings, he felt the fear in him spike. In all his adventures and encounters with those who wanted to harm others, he had never found himself in this bad of a position. They had surrounded him on his way home, and had somehow found Charlie and kidnapped her. Normally he could trick the Team Rocket people and escape, but they used their most powerful weapon against him: his daughter. By threatening her life, they had forced him to bend and comply with their every order and request. He couldn't fight back either, for that would put Charlie's life in even more danger. He had never felt so helpless in his life. And as he would learn, they were on a mission.

After years of witness reports and investigation, they had tracked him down and learned every detail about him. They knew whom his friends were, where they lived, and every Pokemon he had. Their mission: Eliminate the boy who had foiled their plans time after time. And as they carried him and Charlie off to their secret base, it was then that he realized he wasn't just dealing with the harmless trio of Jessie, James and Meowth; he was dealing with a whole organization of people who wanted him gone, and a boss who would do anything to make that happen.

Until they figured out how to deal with him they had thrown him and Charlie into an old and dirty cell. It was just a square with bars surrounding the enclosure and a cot to sleep on. After one look at it, though, Ash wondered if it would be safer to just sleep on the floor. His clothes showed some tearing and there was dust and dirt over his arms and legs. Even Charlie hadn't been spared, as smudges of dirt graced her cheek and pieces of hair were falling out of her ponytail. In addition, giving him even more fear was the fact that they had taken Pikachu and all his other Pokemon from him, leaving his mind to wonder if they were okay.

As he pondered this and many other things, his thoughts and the silence of the basement were interrupted by the squeaking of a door, followed by the sound of footsteps. His heart rate once again spiked, as he was suddenly alert with his eyes fixated on the small sliver of light emitted by the door. He assumed it was a rocket grunt ordered to come get him after they had finally decided what to do with him. The voices that soon filled the air caused his eyes to open in shock, and for him to scramble over to the door of the cell.

"Jessie, look! It's the Twerp!" James's voice echoed through the room.

Next Ash heard the sound of a smack as, he assumed, Jessie hit James. "Quiet, James! You're going to blow our cover!" she snapped at him. Ash watched as she walked closer to him, glancing over her shoulder every now and then. When she was standing right in front of the bars, she stuck her hands on her hips and shook her head. "What have you gotten yourself into now, Twerp?"

No matter how grim his situation looked, he couldn't help but smile at the old, familiar nickname. He didn't want to jump to conclusions, but there was something about Jessie's voice and demeanor that led him to believe that they weren't going to hurt him. Maybe, they would even help him. He knew they could be good-they had helped him many times before-so why would now be any different?

"I don't have Pikachu with me," he told them out of habit. While there was the chance they might actually help him, there was only one thing they would always come to him for. "They took him…"

"We don't want your Pikachu, Twerp," she retorted. After a moment's thought, she corrected herself. "At least not right now."

"What are you doing here?" he asked them. If they hadn't come for Pikachu, then they were here for something else. Maybe they knew what was happening and had come to say goodbye. At least he'd get to say goodbye to somebody.

"We've come to help you out," James informed him, a big, cheesy grin on his face. Help him out? What could Team Rocket do that he hadn't already thought about trying? "I mean let's face it. Without you, we have no Pikachu to steal, and without Pikachu, we have no purpose in life."

Jessie sadly nodded, unable to deny his statement. Chasing Ash all across the world for Pikachu was their thing. Without him or Pikachu around to chase, they would be lost as to what to do. It wasn't as if they were vital to Team Rocket either.

"Where's Meowth?" Ash asked, noticing the third member of their group was missing. Then again, how could you not notice the talking Pokemon was missing?

"He's doing some stuff," James replied. His answer was very vague, leaving Ash to wonder what exactly those things were. "But that's not important right now."

Nodding, Jessie took the lead. "Look, Twerp. You've don't have much time left before-"

"Aww!" James cooed, interrupting Jessie mid sentence. "Who's that?"

Following James's eyes, Ash discovered he was referring to Charlie who was clinging to him, even more terrified with the arrival of Jessie and James.

"Oh, um, this is my daughter, Charlie," he told them. "She's five."

It felt odd for him to say those words, because this was the first group of people he was telling who weren't complete strangers to him. Everyone he had introduced Charlie to before were people from his new life. Jessie and James marked the first set of people from his old life that he had told, and to who this news would shock the most.

For a brief moment both Jessie and James lost their composure, bewildered by the news they had just received. It had been a while since they last saw Ash since they suddenly could no longer find him, thus halting their quest for Pikachu for the time being. They had even gone back to Pallet Town to see if he had returned home. When they couldn't find him there, they tried his friends' homes, but had no luck there either. That's when they had finally given up and resorted to other forms of petty crime.

While Jessie stood there trying to figure out how this had happened, James jumped ahead and clasped his hands together. "Ooooo, I knew it!" he gushed with excitement. "Meowth owes me fifty dollars."

"What are you talking about, James?" Jessie demanded to know. She was not one who enjoyed being out of the loop. She was the leader, so therefore she had to know everything that was going on.

"Him and the twerpy, little red-head!" James continued to squeal with excitement. "Meowth said they'd never get together, but I knew they would. I can't seem to remember her name, but it was the twerp who beat you in the Princess Festival."

Ash just signed. One thing he had neglected to think of when explaining who Charlie is, was that the majority of his friends were convinced him and Misty would end up together. So, since obviously Team Rocket-or at least James-believed in that theory, too, he could see how they would think Charlie was Misty's daughter.

Jessie just shrugged. She'd never really bothered to learn the names of Ash's friends. She only really knew his. So, instead of trying to figure it out herself, she turned to Ash. "Hey, Twerp! What's your little girlfriend's name again?"

"You mean Misty," he concluded for them. "And she's not my girlfriend, nor is she Charlie's mom. In fact, she doesn't even know Charlie exists. None of my friends do. I haven't talked to them in four years."

"Ooooo!" James gushed, while Jessie's eyes widened in shock. "Scandal in Team Twerp! How'd you end up with a kid then?'

"I'd rather not talk about it."

He didn't feel like explaining to Team Rocket that the only reason he had Charlie was because she was a mistake.

Quickly bouncing back to her stern demeanor from before, Jessie folded her arms. "Good. We don't want to hear about it."

"We don't?" James asked, turning to face Jessie with a confused look. He really wanted to know what happened. He had just lost fifty dollars because of it. Then again, they were rather poor, so Meowth probably didn't even have fifty dollar to give him.

"No," Jessie snapped at him. "Now look, Twerp. As I was saying before I was _rudely_ interrupted, you don't have much time left before they act. Now because we need a job, we want to try and help you escape. Unfortunately, we're not really good at creating effective plans, so we were going to need your help."

"What can I do?" he asked. He had tried to come up with ideas of how to escape, but every one of them seemed to result in Charlie's life being threatened. If it was just himself, he would probably have a better chance, but instead he had to get Charlie safely out, too. Plus, he had no Pokemon. "I don't have any ideas and they took all my Pokemon."

Jessie was confused. Ash was the Twerp, the leader of his group. He always had a plan when they were in trouble, or at least he'd make one up as he went. When they had come down here after learning he was here, they had expected him to already have a plan formed that they could just tag onto. This wasn't the annoying, little kid they had followed for years.

"But-but," she hobbled over her words. Ash and James just watched as they waited for her to say something. After a few seconds of trying to come up with something to say, she gave up. Huffing in irritation, she crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at Ash. "How exactly do you plan on escaping out of here then?"

Ash just shrugged, giving her a pathetic look. He had no plans. Everything he thought about trying, only led him down the road of putting Charlie in harms way. That was something he wasn't willing to do or let happen.

"What happened to you?" Jessie demanded to know, stomping her foot in anger. "How can you have no plan?"

"I can't do anything like I used to," he tried to explain to her. "I don't want Charlie to get hurt. If you can come up with a plan that keeps her safe and gets us out of here, I'll help you. I just can't risk her safety."

"Fine," she grumbled. This helping out the good guy routine was proving to be a lot more work than she had anticipated. "We'll come up with a plan and come back tonight. We have to break out of here by tomorrow night or we'll be in trouble."

"Is there anything we can get you now?" James asked.

Taking the question into consideration, Ash thought about it for a second before giving James an answer. "Envelopes, note cards, lots of paper, and something to write with."

"What are you going to do with those?" asked James.

"Something I should have done four years ago."

"Given us Pikachu?" Jessie tried.

"Aren't you guys supposed to be helping me get out of here?"

"Right!" Jessie declared, returning to the matter at hand. Linking arms with James, she ran off, dragging him behind her. "Come on James, we need to go create a plan."

_This should be interesting_, Ash thought as he watched them walk away.

OOOO

Later that night, just as they promised, Jessie and James returned with what Ash had asked them to bring. This time Meowth was with them since he was curious to meet Charlie after hearing about her. After scaring her by talking-she'd never encountered a talking Pokemon before-he had been designated to keep her company while the rest of them tried to come up with a plan.

At first Team Rocket had suggested digging a hole to the outside since they were very good at it. Ash had to admit that there was no denying that one. Team Rocket had quite the knack for digging holes. He would know, too, having fallen in them countless times. But a hole wasn't going to work this time. They didn't have unlimited time like Team Rocket usually did. Scratching that idea, they moved onto trying to come up with other ones. So in the short amount of time they were given, Jessie, James, Meowth and Ash devised a plan that would get Ash out of here and things back to the status quo of their rivalry.

While Ash was willing to try their plan if it meant he might get out here alive, there was still a part of him that had a feeling it would fail. It wasn't because he didn't have confidence in Jessie, James and Meowth. It was that, while they may know the inner workings of Team Rocket, their Pokemon weren't very strong, nor were they able to stand up to the whole organization themselves. Basically, if he knew he couldn't fight Team Rocket on his own, there was probably a lesser chance they could, even with his help. Knowing this, and knowing that this very well could be the end for him, he devised his own plan.

Grabbing a note card off the stack beside him, he wrote down the numbers one through eleven and started writing names and towns next to each number. After the numbers, he wrote four more names under the heading of "other." Setting aside the note card, he grabbed an envelope and a few pieces of paper. With the pen Team Rocket had given him, he put _The Gardener _across the first envelope and set it next to him. From there, he went on to write on the paper, composing a letter that started out, "Dear Mom". And with Charlie fast asleep in his lap, he used the dim light above to compose his plan note card by note card, envelope by envelope. He knew staying up all night to try and complete this would deplete his energy, but this needed to be down. He had screwed up long ago and now he needed to fix it. They needed to know and so did she.

OOOO

"Daddy! Daddy!" Ash heard someone yell in his ear. At first he thought it was just a dream, but as the voice got louder, he suddenly realized they were standing right next to him, pulling on his arm to wake him up. "Daddy! Wake up!"

"Huh?" he groggily replied, wiping the tiredness out of his eyes. Glancing down, he discovered he had fallen asleep while writing, the pen lying where his hand had been and the letter he had been writing stopped mid-sentence. Groaning, he ran his hand through his hair as he started at the stack of envelopes next to him. If he was going to finish them- he had to-he couldn't keep falling asleep. "Five left."

Glancing over to the source of the noise, he saw Charlie looking back at him. "Daddy, I'm hungry," she told him, her eyes looking pathetic and sad. Sighing, he pushed himself up off the ground and groaned as his whole body began to ache. He'd slept on the ground tons of times while he traveled, but a forest floor or that of the Pokemon Center was much more comfortable than the cold, dirt floor he had slept on. "Can you make me a PB&J?"

"Charlie, I don't have any food, and I don't think we're going to be getting any," he tried to explain to her. No matter how hard her tried, though, he knew she wouldn't quite understand why they were here, nor would she understand why they weren't going to give them any food. "Once we get out of here, though, you can have all the PB&J sandwiches you want."

"When do we get to leave?" she asked as if it was that easy to ask.

"Soon," he told her. He didn't actually know when, but if things went the way he thought they were going to go, she would be out of here soon. If he would be with her was the answer they still had yet to answer. That would be determined tonight when they tried to escape with the help of Team Rocket. "Right now Daddy needs to finish up some work."

He knew it wasn't anywhere near the normal circumstances that they were in, but as long as he could pretend he was doing some of the things they would do at home, maybe he could help her fear. Regardless of the fact that he was tired, his body ached, and the ground was in no way comfortable, he lay back down on the ground and picked up the pen. Grabbing the letter he had left off on, he resumed writing. While he was aware this probably wasn't the best thing he could do as a parent-ignoring his daughter to write letters to his friends-this needed to be finished.

Climbing on top of him, Charlie rested her head on his shoulder and watched what he was doing. As her dad's arm moved out of the way, she spotted a name at the top of the letter. The best she could, she tried to sound it out and decipher the letters.

"Who's Seailan?" she asked him, having finally formed a word.

Ash couldn't help but laugh a bit at her totally mispronunciation of his friend's name. At the same time, though, it pained him that his daughter would even have to ask who Cilan was. "It's Cilan, Charlie," he corrected her as he continued writing. "And he's a very good friend of mine. You'll meet him when you go on your journey."

While he had meant to wait until she actually went on her journey to tell her who each person was, he figured he could share a bit now. Plus, she was five so she probably wouldn't remember.

"Oh. Okay." Sliding off of him, she wandered over to the pile of already finished letters. He almost yelled at her to leave the pile alone, but then he remembered there wasn't anything else for her to do. He'd just have to make sure all the pieces were there later. Grabbing an envelope at random, she once again tried to read what her father had written across it. "Daddy, you knew a mermaid named Tom?"

_Huh?_ _What is she…? Oh, ha ha! _"No Charlie. I don't actually know a mermaid named Tom. It's just a nickname for my friend. A tomboy is what they sometimes call girls who like to do things that boys like to. And she's a mermaid because she loves water Pokemon and the ocean. You'll meet her, too."

"I will? What's her name?" she asked, perking up a bit. "How come I never met her before?"

Letting his head hit the ground, Ash groaned in annoyance. He wasn't mad at Charlie for asking him this questions-she had every right to. It was himself he was mad at for keeping her a secret all these years and never introducing her to his friends. He shouldn't be asking her who they were. If he had done what he should have, she'd know whom he was talking about, and he could leave her with them if anything happened.

"Her name's…Misty… he explained, still hesitant about tell her. The more he told her, the more she would ask questions. "And you've never met her because I don't know where she is."

_Liar! _His brain shouted at him. _Coward! You knew exactly where she is._ "Hey Charlie? Daddy really has to get this finished, so how about I give you some paper and you can draw me a picture?"

Grabbing a sheet of paper, he grabbed an extra pen and handed it over to her. Snatching it from him, she crawled over next to him and flopped down on her belly. Poising her pen over her paper, she began to sketch the best picture she could.

OOOO

Later that night, he had all the letters written, the clues set up, and everything placed in the corresponding envelope. To ensure that Charlie would get everything, Team Rocket had stopped by and put all the envelopes in a box that they had taken to some safe location. Granted the whole thing was more for if he didn't make it, but the chances of that happening were pretty high. He couldn't tell Team Rocket that, though. They would think he was giving up, which he partially was. Regardless, he was still willing to die trying if it would at least save Charlie.

All he had to do now was wait for Team Rocket to show up. To make sure they would have enough time, they had decided that tonight would be the night they would try and escape. Since there wasn't much he could do considering where he was, he had to wait for them to complete the first step before they could move forward. After that, well, he didn't know what would happen. All he knew was that once he got out of this cell, he and Charlie were literally running for his lives.

As he paced back and forth to try and calm his nerves, he glanced at his daughter who was napping on the bed. After drawing him countless pictures, she had gotten so board that he had suggested she take a nap. While he couldn't tell her why she needed to be fully energized, he could at least try to encourage her to get some rest.

When he heard voices, he immediately stopped pacing and snapped his head toward the direction of the voices. With his ears and eyes on full alert, he tried to see if he could make out the people who had just entered. Even though he was pretty sure it was Jessie and James, he still felt jumpy every time he heard voices. A few times some of the Rocket grunts had come down here to see for themselves if he had been captured. Even though some of them had mocked him and tried to throw things at him, he knew better than to fight back. Luckily though, this time it was Jessie and James. To his surprise, though, they were dragging a passed out grunt behind them.

"Uh…"

"Hey Twerp," Jessie greeted him as if there was nothing out of the ordinary. When she reached the cell he was in, she passed him a pile of clothes through the bars. Glancing down at them, he looked at her in confusion. He didn't remember this part of the plan. "What are you just standing there for?" she snapped at him. "Put them on!"

"We'll need the clothes you're wearing, too," James added.

For a few seconds, Ash and Team Rocket had a staring contest as Team Rocket waited for Ash to do what they told him. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't watch me while I changed," Ash finally said. "Could you turn around or something?"

Embarrassed by their actions, Jessie and James instantly whirled around and faced the other way. While they waited for Ash to finish changing, they spent their time bouncing up and down on the balls of their feet, trying to deal with their nerves. While they were willing to risk their life to save Ash, they were still scared of what they were doing. They'd never turned their back on the organization like this.

"Guys, I don't know about this…"

When Jessie and James turned around, Ash stood before them dressed in a black Team Rocket uniform. He even had on the matching boots and hat. He'd worn a Team Rocket uniform before, but this was still really strange. Plus, it wasn't comfortable and loose like the clothes he normally wore. And while there was still a hat, it just didn't feel the same.

Smiling at the results before them, Team Rocket pulled out a pair of keys and unlocked the door to the cell. Walking inside, Jessie dragged the unconscious grunt behind her while James grabbed Ash's clothes from him. While James dealt with putting Ash's clothes on the grunt they had stolen the uniform from, Jessie pulled out a pair of scissors. When she came close to Ash with them, though, he freaked out.

"What are you doing?" he panicked as he backed away from her.

"We need to cut your hair," Jessie explained much to Ash's horror. Cut his hair? This was definitely NOT in the plan they had created together. When he pushed her away shouting "No way!" she got angry, having no patience to deal with him. "Do you want them to recognize you?"

He knew there was no fighting that one. If this would help him escape, then he would have to make the sacrifice. You could always grow back hair, but you can't get back your life. Rather begrudgingly, he folded his arms and allowed her to cut his hair. And here he thought Misty was the only one who would ever get a Team Rocket makeover.

When she was finished, there were chucks of his hair scattered on the floor. Without even having to look at a mirror, he could tell by the chucks that he had lost a lot of hair. Regardless of knowing the outcome, he couldn't avoid the temptation of using his hands to try and feel the changes. As he did, though, he regretted it instantly. It was much shorter and smoother than the hair he had before. No more did he have the spiky pieces on the side that stuck out of his hat, nor did he have the ones that formed the hair on the back of his head. Thankfully, he still had some in the front.

"You can look at your new hairstyle later," Jessie snapped at him. "In the meantime, look who we finally managed to snatch!" Extending her she handed Ash a Pokeball. Taking it from Jessie's hands, Ash's eyes lit up with joy. The Pokeball looked like any other standard Pokeball, but on the very front of it was a tiny lightening bolt. "This was the only way we could get him, so our apologies."

Ash didn't hear what Jessie had said, though, instead much more focused on the Pokeball in his hand. Throwing it into the air, he watched as the red beam shot out of the ball and Pikachu appeared a few feet in front of him. When he was released, Pikachu shook his head and twitched his ears, thrilled to be out of the dreaded Pokeball. As he took in his surroundings, he became very confused as to where he was. After a few seconds, though, a familiar scent drifted through the air and into his nose. He'd recognize that scent anywhere.

"Hey there, Buddy," Ash chuckled.

Whirling around, his beady, black eyes sparkled with happiness as he took in Ash's from kneeling in front of him. "Pikapi!" he cried as he sprinted the short distance from where he was standing into Ash's awaiting arms. Even with his fake Team Rocket uniform, Pikachu knew it was Ash. Not caring that Ash was probably squeezing the air out of him, Pikachu responded by letting off tiny, affectionate, sparks. When he felt Ash loosen his grip, he sprung free and climbed onto his rightful place on Ash's shoulder. There, Pikachu nuzzled Ash's cheek and nibbled on his ear.

"Pikachu, quit," Ash chuckled as he tried to crane his neck away from Pikachu. "That tickles."

"It's so beautiful," Jessie swooned, holding a handkerchief to her eyes. "How could we have ever dreamed of tearing up a friendship like that?"

"I'll never try to steal Pikachu again," James sobbed alongside her.

To Ash's relief, Pikachu finally calmed down, the initial excitement starting to die down. When he turned back to Jessie and James, they snapped out of their momentary "episode". "Right! Well…" Grabbing four Pokeballs between them, they handed them over to Ash, "…here are the rest of your Pokemon. Meowth is outside setting up the balloon. We have to get going, though. We don't have much time."

Nodding in understanding, Ash turned around and walked over to wake up Charlie. He would have let her sleep, but he wanted her to be wide-awake if she had to run or fight back. Kneeling down in front of her, he gently shook her. Sensing her sleep had been disturbed; Charlie rolled over and began to open her eyes. When she did, though, they instantly widened in fear. As he started back his daughter's fearful eyes, it dawned on him that she was scared because she didn't recognize him right away. To her, he just looked like a scary grunt.

"Shh. Charlie, it's me," he replied, taking off his hat so that she could see that his hair was different. "No need to worry. It's just me."

Now recognizing him, she relaxed a bit and proceeded to giggle a bit at his funny haircut. Ignoring her laughter, he glanced over at Team Rocket who was urging him to hurry up.

"We'll be there in just a second," he replied much to their annoyance. He knew that they didn't have a whole lot of time, but he had to tell Charlie something before they continued on. Averting his eyes back to Charlie, he took a deep breath and exhaled before continuing on. "Charlie, you know I love you, right?" he asked her. Her little mouth turned into a toothy grin as she nodded her head. Extending his hand, he brushed her hair out of her eyes and behind her ear, laughing quietly to himself. "Of course you do. I just want you to know that you may find out some things when you're older, but no matter what anyone one tells you about my life or the circumstances of your birth, I want you to know that you're the greatest thing that's ever happened to me."

He knew one day, through someone, she'd find out the truth about his travels, his friends, and what had led her to be born. But no matter what anybody told her, he wanted to make sure she knew how important she was to him. He'd left everything for her and he didn't regret it one bit. To this day, meeting her was one of the greatest moments of his life.

_He didn't know what to expect when he walked into the tiny room that had tan colored walls and baby Pokemon themed decorations scattered around the room. In the far right corner, across from the wooden rocking chair, was a white crib. As he tentatively approached the crib, he could see a tiny lump covered by a pink blanket. Even though he knew what was sleeping inside the crib, he was still freaked out by it. Less than twenty-four hours ago, he had only just found out about the little girl sleeping in the crib._

_While he had never doubted Ruby was telling him the truth before, as he carefully observed the little girl, he was able to easily concluded that there was no doubt in his mind that this was his daughter. Just like when he had seen her on the videophone, her face resembled his when he was a baby, and she had his nose. He stared at her for a few moments, just watching her chest fall and rise as she snoozed away in her crib. _

_"You see her, Pikachu? Her name's Charlotte and she's my daughter," Ash told the Pokemon that was sitting on his shoulder, looking into the crib below. _

_"Pi pi pi?" it asked its trainer, not quite understanding. _

_Upon hearing Pikachu's response, Ash let out a small chuckle. "Yep. She's a baby just like Togepi. But she's a human baby and she's mine." _

_As Pikachu gazed into that crib, examining the sleeping baby with great curiosity, he wasn't so sure if he liked the idea of his Pikapi having a Pi pi pi of his own. _

_Suddenly, though, Charlotte began to move around a bit as she slowly started to wake up. As she opened her eyes a bit, Ash began to panic a bit. She wasn't supposed to wake up! Now what was he going to do? Was he going to have to pick her up? Should he just leave the room and let her go back to sleep or let Ruby take care of it? If he was worrying about this, he knew he was in big trouble. He had no idea how to take care of a kid, and in about five seconds, he was going to have to make his first official step in taking care of her. _

_Before she could really start crying, he scooped her out of her crib and grabbed every blanket and stuffed animal that had been inside. _What would Brock do? Just channel Brock, Ash. WWBD, _he repeated over and over to himself as he made the short walk from her crib to the rocking chair. When he sat down, though, and her crying only increased, he had no idea what to do. Almost spontaneously, she stopped crying and cracked a smile. Knowing he hadn't done anything but move his body to make the chair rock back and forth, he was left wondering what had caused her sudden change in mood. _

_As she stretched out her hands, though, he noticed that they weren't aimed toward him, but toward Pikachu who was still sitting on his shoulder. Glancing to the side, he saw his trusty Pokemon using his tiny paws to contort his face into different Pokemon._

"_Thanks a lot, Pikachu," he groaned in annoyance. "My first day as a parent and you're already making me look bad." _

"_Pika!"_

"_Yeah, yeah. I hear you loud and clear," he replied, rolling his eyes._

If the first day they had met showed anything, it was that he was going to need to learn a lot. She had needed him, and as he would learn over the years, he had needed her. Unlike anybody else he'd ever met, she had forced him to mature and realize that there was more to life than just Pokemon. It was because of her that he had finally grown up and started to take responsibility for his actions. He could still act like a kid at times and share with her his love of Pokemon and adventure, but in the end, he had to be an example she looked up to for guidance.

Naïve to why her father was telling her this, Charlie accepted it as it was and waited patiently for him to continue. When he didn't, though, she studied his face, looking for any sign as to how he might be feeling. When she noticed his eyes shimmering a bit with tears, she twisted her head in confusion.

"Daddy, why are you crying?"

Instead of answering her question, he kept talking. "Charlie, whatever happens tonight, I know you'll be able to stay strong and get through it. And when you get older, you'll do amazing things and you'll meet some extraordinary people who will help you out even more. But no matter what happens, I'll always be with you," he told her. Taking his hand, he pointed he tapped the part of her chest that held her heart. "Right here."

After that, he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her as tight as he could, not daring to let go quite yet. For all he knew, this could be the last time he would hug her. He knew that she was strong and if it were to be, she could function and move on in a life without him. There would be people he knew would take care of her and look out for her for him. He would make sure he lead her to them and that she had people in her life she could call her family. It was him who wouldn't know what to do without her. There would be nobody he could turn to that would understand how he was feeling. He didn't know anyone who had lost a child. Charlie on the other hand, would have people like Gary, Misty, Iris, Dawn and his mom, whom all knew what it was like to have to live their life without a family member. Plus, he could find comfort in the fact that he was confident Pikachu-as well as his other Pokemon-would be there to protect her from any harm. No matter the situation they ended up in, he would put her life and safety before his own.

Letting go of her, he pulled out one of his Pokeballs. "You can be in charge of Totodile," he told her as he handed over the spherical object to her. "If somebody besides Daddy or those two people over there try to hurt you, you can use Totodile to attack them. Okay?"

"Okay," she replied, although she had no idea what he was talking about. She was just excited that she was going to get to battle with one of her father's Pokemon. She had watched him battle many times before, so she was ready to mimic the commands she had seen him use on Totodile.  
>"You guys take Buizel and Glalie," Ash instructed as he handed two Pokeballs over to Team Rocket. "If you need to, use a move called Ice Aqua Jet. All you have to do is tell Glalie to use Ice Beam and tell Buizel to use Aqua Jet." Once Team Rocket grabbed the Pokeballs from him, they placed them on their belt. "I'll take Pikachu and Pidgeot. Charlie has Totodile just in case."<p>

They nodded in understanding. "Ready?" Jessie asked him, the tone of her voice holding one of uncertainty and fear. This was it. This was the moment they had been planning. Once they stepped out of this room, they were on the run and their every movement would count.

"Ready."

Pivoting on her foot, Jessie led the way out of the cell and down the hallway she and James had came down earlier. As quietly as they could, they climbed the steps with their Pokeballs gripped tightly in their hands just in case. While Jessie and James had made sure the coast was clear earlier, there was always a chance that a Rocket grunt could be there now.

Peeking her head around the wall, Jessie looked both ways before dashing off to the right where another hallway was. While he waited for Jessie to give them the signal that the coast was clear, James occasionally looked the opposite way to make sure nobody was coming. When Jessie gave the signal, James motioned for Ash and Charlie to follow him.

As they tiptoed quietly down the hallway, Ash could feel his heart racing with each movement he made. Any second now, a Rocket grunt could appear and catch them, alerting the others to their escape. Each time they would have to wait to see if the coast was clear, he would feel the nerves rush through him. This wasn't the kind of nerves that he was used to either. This was the kind where every sense seemed to be heightened, and the sound of pin dropping could send his spine crawling.

At one of the corridors, Jessie suddenly stopped without warning, causing James and Ash to bump into her. "Once we get down this hallway, we have be extra careful," she whispered. "If we get separated, the exit is a big, red, sliding door. Once you get outside, run to your right, and the balloon is hidden in the forest."

While the directions were actually simpler than he thought, with tension and fears running high, reaching the exit and the Team Rocket balloon seemed almost impossible. He'd have to really pay attention.

Once again, they tiptoed their way down the hallway, making sure to not make a single sound for fear of alerting unwanted attention. Once they reached the end of the hallway, they stopped. The place that they needed to run through only had a few grunts in it, but there were stairs and various hallways that led in all different directions. In addition, there were various openings that a grunt could come walking through anytime. What concerned him, however, was that nowhere in the room did he see the door Jessie was talking about.

As if she had heard Ash, Jessie started to explain where exactly they were. According to her, the exit wasn't in this room, but the hallway on the far right side would lead them to it. For now, they had to make their way up a flight of steps and be careful not to accidentally get trapped on the moving sidewalks.

Jessie led the way as they slid across a wall, trying to remain as silent as possible. Any sound and the grunts across the room could turn around and catch them in the act of escaping. Also, as Jessie had pointed out earlier, one step forward, and he would be sent the opposite way via the moving sidewalks.

Then it happened.

Ash heard the horrifying sound of Totodile's Pokeball hitting the floor as it fell from Charlie's hands. "Oops," Charlie squeaked, causing Jessie, James and Ash to cringe in fear. They were doomed now. Things only got worse when the Pokeball rolled across the floor and onto the moving sidewalk. Ash needed to get Totodile, but he couldn't move, frozen in the stance he was in. "I'll get it," she went on to tell him as she ran over to the moving sidewalk.

Of course, that's when the grunts across the room decided to turn around.

"Hey!" One of them shouted. "What do you think you're doing?"

Ash kept his mouth shut, knowing that while they may not be able to visually recognize him, they would be able to remember his voice. He wasn't a little kid anymore where he could take advantage of the fact he had yet to go through puberty. That ship had sailed long ago, Charlie being his prime example.

"The boss asked us to take care of the daughter," Jessie explained, coming up with a lie on the spot. "Wants to recruit her for Team Rocket." When the grunt flickered his eyes over Ash, Jessie added, "This is a new recruit who's shadowing us. Name's…err… name's Tom."

The grunt eyed Jessie suspiciously, not sure if he should believe her or not. After a few seconds, though, he narrowed his eyes at her. "Fine," he snapped before turning back around.

Ash couldn't help but let out the breath he had been holding. Thankfully, Jessie's idea had worked, although she could have been a bit more creative than Tom. They hadn't been able to recognize him. Now to get Charlie and get out of here before they had any more close calls. Before he could go towards her, though, she had already grabbed the Pokeball and was now headed back toward where they were. "I got it Daddy!" she cheered, holding up Totodile's Pokeball as proof.

Instantly, the grunt whirled around, catching Charlie's slip up. "Hold it right there!" he yelled at Ash. _Shit…_Ash muttered under his breath as he immediately froze where he was standing. "You're no grunt! You're Ketchum!" Ash gulped in fear. They had figured out who he was. Within seconds, buttons had been pressed and bells and alarms started to go off, alerting the other grunts of their presence. "Don't let them get away!"

"New plan, Twerp!" Jessie announced. "Run!"

Before Ash, Jessie and James could react, there was an explosion that caused smoke to quickly encase the room. As the smoke blocked his vision and prevented him from being able to fight back, he started to feel real fear. To make matters worse, he had not only lost sight of Jessie and James, but he had also lost sight of Charlie, all of whom had just been standing next to him moments ago. Suddenly, he heard a high-pitched scream coming from somewhere in the room, and within an instant, he knew it was Charlie.

"Pidgeot!" he yelled, throwing a Pokeball in the air. "Blow away the smoke!"

When the giant bird Pokemon flapped his powerful wings to blow away the smoke, his eyes glanced around the room, looking for any sign of Charlie or Team Rocket. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a powerful stream of water shoot across the room as it sent a grunt and his Raticate flying into the wall. Following the source of the water, he spotted Charlie cornered against the wall as she tried to fight off approaching Rockets with Totodile. Recalling Pidgeot, he started to make a run for her.

Before he could rescue her, a group of grunts started to surround him, getting closer and closer by the second. If he wanted to have any chance of getting to Charlie, he had to get out of there before they got any closer.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" he yelled.

As Pikachu's Thunderbolt lit up the room, it came back down to the ground and hit the grunts standing nearby. With the coast somewhat clear, Ash made a dash for it. As he ran across the room to where Charlie was, his heart beat faster and faster as the adrenaline pumped through him. Suddenly, though, he felt himself start to move sideways. Glancing down, he panicked as he realized he had gotten trapped on one of the moving sidewalks. After flailing around for a few moments to regain his balance, he attempted to run the opposite way. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't go the opposite way. Giving up, he turned around and ran the rest of the way before doubling back and taking the right sidewalk.

With each step he got closer and closer to her before, finally, he had reached her. Unfortunately, he hadn't been fast enough, a grunt having trapped her in their arms. Knowing he couldn't use his Pokemon to attack for fear of hurting Charlie, he had result to his own body.

"Charlie, close your eyes," he instructed her.

Once she closed her eyes, he took a swing at the grunt standing in front of him. Since the grunt couldn't fight back with Charlie in his hands, Ash's fist easily made contact with the grunt's jaw. The grunt released Charlie as he grabbed his jaw in pain. With Charlie free, Ash scooped her up in his arms, recalled Totodile and started running as fast as he could.

As he ran away with Charlie in his arms, he frantically searched the room for Jessie and James. And as he spotted them across the room, it was then and there that he was thankful they had decided to wear their traditional white uniforms. Making sure to avoid the moving sidewalks, he ran toward them as Pikachu fired electric attacks at any approaching Pokemon or grunts.

"You okay, Twerp?" Jessie asked him. Before Ash could respond, an Ekans was headed toward them, preparing its bite attack. "Buizel, Sonic Boom!"

Ash whirled his head around in surprise. How had Jessie known that command? Regardless of when and where she had learned it, the attack had done its job as it sent the weaker Ekans flying in the opposite direction.

"We have to get out of here," Ash yelled at her.

"Can't you see we're trying?" she snapped right back at him. In a quieter voice, she said, "You head out now and we'll meet you at the balloon."

"But-" he tried to protest.

"Go!"

Snapping out of his trance, Ash nodded his head in determination. Releasing Pidgeot, he hopped on and set Charlie in front of him. Leaning forward to create a barrier so she couldn't fall off, Ash gabbed hold of Pidgeot as it flew high above the ground.

"Hold on, Charlie," he instructed his daughter as they flew through the skies. "Alright, Pidgeot, head for that tunnel!"

With lightening fast speed, Pidgeot flew through the room and over to the tunnel that Ash had pointed to. As they got closer, Ash looked behind him to see that two Team Rocket member had started to follow him on Fearows. If he was going to make it safely outside, he had to lose them. So, with a slight change in command, Ash, instructed Pidgeot to turn just before they reached the wall.

As it was commanded to, at the last second, Pidgeot curved its body, causing its one wing to face up. While Ash's plan had worked in losing the two grunts, he was only met with more of them. In almost agility like fashion, Pidgeot, at the command of Ash, gracefully dodged the attacks and grunts that were in its way.

**(Start Music)**

To Ash it felt like they were on a roller coaster, Pidgeot climbing upward at times, and curving left and right to avoid being hit. There were lots of close calls as they raced to lose the grunts that had been following them. At one point, Pidgeot had gracefully avoided getting hit by a wing attack from a Zubat, but became a direct target for an Arbok's poison sting attack. At the last second, though, it was intercepted by a dagger of ice that came from somewhere on the ground. Within the missile of ice, he could make out Buizel as the Pokemon dashed by, hitting the Pokemon and grunts in its path.

Ash instructed Pidgeot to once again head for the exit, only this time, if they were followed, he would have to wait it out until they reached the outside. As the Pokemon flew through the room, it curved its body at the last second to enter the tiny opening the hallway had created. To his annoyance, he was still being followed, the Team Rocket grunts refusing to give up. As they flew through the tunnel, Pikachu gripped tight to Ash as it tried to fire off electric attacks toward the grunts that were following them. With each passing second, he could see them getting closer and closer to the red door that Jessie had been referring to.

"Pidgeot, quick attack!" Ash yelled just before they reached the door. He didn't know if it would open on command, and he wasn't about to stop and find out.

Gripping even tighter to Charlie, Ash held on for dear life as Pidgeot brought his wings inward and increased his pace to bullet like speeds. The wind created from Pidgeot's increased speed stung Ash's face and sent the Team Rocket cap flying off his head. Pidgeot broke through the door, allowing them to finally make it to the outside. While it seemed that he was free, he wasn't out of the clear just yet. He had to somehow lose the grunts behind him and make it to Team Rocket's hot air balloon.

As Pidgeot climbed high into the sky to try and escape it's stalkers, Ash could feel his body sliding backward as gravity began to pull him back down to the ground. Thankfully, at the last second, Pidgeot straightened itself out, allowing Ash to reposition himself on the bird's back. Turning left, Pidgeot tried to confuse its followers. Just like before, Pidgeot swooped up and down, left and right, trying to confuse it's opponents and tire them out.

Circling back toward the Team Rocket base in yet another attempt to lose the grunts, Ash spotted Jessie and James running from the building. Leaning forward in preparation for the sudden increase in speed he would experience, Ash instructed Pidgeot to fly low and grab Jessie and James with its powerful talons. When Pidgeot flew low to the ground, it picked up Jessie and James, making sure not to hurt them with its sharp talons. With Jessie and James now in tow, Ash instructed Pidgeot to head for the forest. Once again, Pidgeot angled its body upward and began to climb high into the sky, flapping its powerful wings as hard as it could.

As the forest came into view, Pidgeot dove down into the canopy of the trees and began rocking back and forth as it avoided the branches, but the grunts were still in hot pursuit. Ash knew that if they kept trying to outrace the rocket grunts, Pidgeot would eventually get too tired to keep going, especially with the added wait of Team Rocket. If he could just make it to the balloon, he would be able to directly attack them.

Just above the horizon of the trees, Ash spotted the familiar Meowth-shaped balloon hovering in the sky. In all his years he had known the infamous trio, he had never thought he'd be as happy as he was now to see their Meowth shaped balloon. "Come on Pidgeot. You can do it, we're almost there," he encouraged the Pokemon. The seconds seemed to drag on as Pidgeot used every ounce of its remaining energy to travel the few remaining yards to the balloon.

As they got closer to the balloon, Jessie and James knew that they would need time to be able to try and escape. With this in mind, Jessie released Glalie and instructed him to fire an ice beam at the grunts following them. This only dragged Pidgeot down, the extra weight officially too much. Once Glalie fired a direct hit at the Fearow, sending it crashing to the ground, Jessie recalled him, allowing Pidgeot to fly back up. By doing this, Jessie was able to buy Ash enough time to safely reach the balloon.

Since Ash knew that it was him that the grunts were after, in a last second decision to try and save Team Rocket, he instructed Pidgeot to release them so that they would land in the basket of the hot air balloon.

"Get into the basket!" Ash screamed at them as Pidgeot hovered in the air just next to the hot air balloon.

Jessie and James looked up at Ash, shocked. What was he doing? "What about you, Twerp?"

"I'll be fine!" he shouted back at them. "Just get inside now!" Not bothering to argue with him, Jessie and James leaped from Pidgeot's feet to the side of the basket, scrambling to get in. Once they were safely inside, they fired up the balloon and began preparations to fly away. "Sorry, Buddy. Take care of Charlie for me," Ash told his faithful companion as he recalled him into his Pokeball, tossing it into the basket of Team Rocket's balloon along with Totodile.

Glancing back the way they came, Ash watched in fear as the number of grunts drastically increased, getting closer by the second. Looking down in front of him, he made the decision to hand Charlie over to Team Rocket. If she stayed on Pidgeot with him any longer, her chances of getting hurt or seriously injured would only increase.

Grabbing Charlie, Ash lifted her up and handed her over to Jessie. "Take Charlie for me," he instructed her, although the tone of his voice was more demanding. It was the last chance he had of saving her. "Get her out of here."

Startled by being suddenly moved, Charlie started to frantically flail around, making it much harder for Jessie to bring her to safety. And with the looming threat of her possibly slipping out of Jessie's arms and falling, calming her down became even more crucial. With the help of James and some pushing on Ash's end, they were finally able to get Charlie into the basket. Despite her being safely in the basket, she continued to fight against Jessie, crying out for her dad, not understanding why he was leaving her.

"Daddy!" she screamed as she tried to fight against the person who was holding her back. She was terrified, the tears now streaming down her face, and she wanted her dad like every time she would get scared before. "Let me go! I want my Daddy!"

"Charlie, it's okay," her dad tried to assure her in a soothing voice. He hated seeing her upset like this and wanted more than anything to be able to comfort her, but he knew this was the only way he could protect her. "These people are going to help you. They'll protect you for Daddy."

This didn't sooth her the least bit as she continued to scream and try to wriggle her way out. Before she knew it, she was being carried away and her dad got smaller and smaller.

With the utmost difficulty, Ash had to tear himself away from Charlie as he flew back into the sky and Team Rocket's balloon headed the other way. He knew she didn't understand and that she was scared, but this was the only thing he could do to ensure she had a chance of being safe. Despite Ash's instructions to escape, Team Rocket floated far enough away so that they could still observe what was happening in case Ash needed their help.

With great interest, they watched as Ash and Pidgeot sped back the other way and toward the Team Rocket grunts. Without having to worry about anyone else's safety but his own, Ash didn't hesitate to command Pidgeot to fire off a Wing Attack. The powerful crescent shaped beams sped forward, knocking out the various Zubats, Ekans and Raticates in its path. While Team Rocket was large in number, the power of Ash's Pidgeot overpowered their low level Pokemon.

As team Rocket watched from afar, Jessie noticed the boss of Team Rocket and a few other grunts gather out of Ash's line of sight. Giovanni's Persian charged up its body as it prepared to release a powerful hyper beam. Next to him, a top-ranking grunt named Aero instructed his Golbat to do the same.

"TWERP, LOOK OUT!" Jessie shouted as loud as she could, hoping to catch Ash's attention. "BEHIND YOU!"

Hearing an unclear voice behind him, Ash turned around to see who was yelling at him. When he turned around, though, it was too late. The Hyper Beams had been released and they were heading right toward him. No matter how quick or how sleek Pidgeot was there was no way they could avoid getting hit. And it was then and there that Ash knew this was the end. Once the beams hit, it was all over.

In what felt like slow motion, the beams of light shot toward him, their brightness overpowering him. When they hit, it felt like his skin was on fire as the hyper beam hit him directly in the chest. The pain was so intense that seconds after getting hit, he felt himself start to pass out. Loosing grip on Pidgeot, he felt his body slide off the bird Pokemon, gravity taking over. In a last attempt to save Pidgeot, he recalled the powerful bird back into its Pokeball. It was then that he blacked out, everything around him vanishing in a roar of loud noises, screaming and flashes of memories.

Jessie and James stood petrified in fear as they watched Ash fall from the bird, his body plummeting to the ground. There was nothing they could do to save him; he was too far away, not even the fastest Pokemon able to catch him.

"Daddy!" Charlie screamed in terror as she watched her father fall from his Pidgeot.

That's when she lost it, going into a fit of screaming and anger as she tried to climb out of the basket. No matter how hard she tried, though, Team Rocket held her back. If she were to jump out, they could potentially lose her, too. Frustrated with not being able to run to her father, Charlie let her tears run down her face as she stared down at the area where his body had landed.

For a second the grunts of Team Rocket all stood still not uttering a word. Suddenly, though, they erupted into cheers and stances of victory. They had done it; they had knocked out one of their greatest enemies. No longer would Ash Ketchum be infiltrating their plans. They were now free to wreak havoc on the world as they pleased. It was also then that Jessie, James and Meowth realized they could never return to Team Rocket. They were now traitors and would surly be killed if they dared to return. Once the celebration had died off, Giovanni and Aero led the grunts back to base, not caring to search for Ash's body. As far as they were concerned, he was dead and they were done.

Once the grunts had disappeared, James steered the balloon toward the patch of field they thought Ash might have fallen in. Meanwhile, curled up in a corner of the basket, Charlie sobbed quietly, feeling helpless. Her dad was gone, and with her mom somewhere she didn't know, she had no family left. Even though she had no idea how to comfort Charlie, Jessie kneeled down in front of her and just watched her. Noticing Jessie's sudden appearance, Charlie slowly lifted her head up, her eyes meeting Jessie's. For once, Jessie had no idea what to do. She'd never really had to comfort anyone before.

After a few moments of flying through the sky, James began to steer the balloon back down toward the ground. Tearing her eyes away from Charlie, Jessie stood up and walked over to the edge of the basket. As she observed the patches of tall grass, she wondered how they were ever going to find his body. Once the balloon landed, Jessie and James were selected to search for Ash, while Meowth was asked to stay behind and take care of Charlie. Pushing the tall grass out of their way, Jessie and James made their way through the field, praying that there was a tiny chance he might still be alive. They doubted it, though. If the Hyper Beam hadn't killed him, then a fall from as high as he was definitely would.

"Jess, I think I found something," James called from the area he was searching through.

After waiting for Jessie to catch up with him, they both made their way through the grass to a spot a few feet ahead of them. Pushing one final piece of grass out of the way, they spotted Ash's body. His eyes were closed and body turned on its side. Rushing over to him, James placed a finger on Ash's wrist. To his surprise, there was still a pulse, but it was waning with every second that went by. From the looks of it, the arm that was resting on the ground had been broken, probably from Ash trying to use if to break his fall. It appeared as well as if some of his ribs had cracked from the force of the Hyper Beam, and his clothes had big gaping holes in them. Nevertheless, all James held onto was that he was still breathing, indicating that he was still alive.

Deciding they had to get him out of there, Jessie and James lifted Ash as carefully as they could and carried him back toward their balloon. As gingerly as they could, they laid him down inside the balloon before Jessie rushed to his side and James quickly prepared the balloon for flight. They were in a time crunch, and any second wasted could mean the difference between Ash living or dying.

When Jessie and James carried her dad into the balloon, Charlie's eyes widened in shock. Once they had set him down, she crawled over to him and kneeled down beside him. "Wake up, Daddy!" she called, lightly shaking his shoulder. When he didn't say anything in response or move, she started to get frustrated. Why wasn't he answering her? "Please," she begged him. Her voice was uneven and he was barely able to make out the words, "you have to get up, Daddy! I'm hungry and you promised me a PB&J."

Jessie slowly slid Charlie away from Ash's body; afraid she might accidentally hurt him, not understanding what was going on. To her surprise, Charlie didn't fight her this time, instead burying her head in Jessie's arms as she wept quietly to herself. With Charlie out of the way, Jessie, placed her fingers on Ash's wrist. This time, though, there was no pulse, no breath, no nothing. He was gone.

Pursing her lip, she turned toward her partners. "James," she called, "he's gone."

Both Meowth and James snapped their head over to Ash's chest, hoping to see it rise and fall, debunking Jessie's claim. They saw nothing, though, only confirming the fact that Ash was gone. They'd tried to save him, but they had failed.

"What are we going to do?" James asked her. "Should we tell the others twerps?"

Jessie shook her head. "They'll think we did it, James. We have to make it look like an accident."

"What do we do with the kid?" James asked as he glanced over at Charlie who was still clinging to Jessie.

"She can stay with us until we figure it out," Jessie sighed, looking down at the heartbroken Charlie.

She'd never been the motherly type before, but as Charlie cried into her shirt, her sympathy went out to the child. She'd only known her for less than twenty-four hours, but she couldn't help but feel attached to Charlie. So much so that she contemplated raising her on her own. It was obvious she was done with Team Rocket, so if she wanted, she could raise Charlie in a Team Rocket free environment. If she needed, she knew James and Meowth would help her. But if she couldn't do that, she would vow to protect Charlie.

Nothing was said as Team Rocket altered their travel plans to the direction toward a nearby cave. They would blow up part of the cave and pretend that Ash had gotten trapped. Leaving his body there, they would head over to Pallet Town and drop of Ash's Pokemon. Life had changed as they knew it. No more would they chase the stubborn trainer through region after region, getting blasted off every time. Their original purpose in Ash's life was gone and they needed a new one. So, turning over a new leaf of doing good, they decided their new purpose in life would be to protect Charlie for Ash.

* * *

><p>For those of you who tried listening to the music, if it's not too much trouble, could you maybe give me some feedback on how it worked out? (Like it? Hate it? That sort of thing. Thank you.)<p> 


	18. The Masters Of Disguise

I'm sorry for the time it's taken me to update. With the holidays and transferring to a new college, things have been kind of hectic. I know this is a short chapter, but I still hope you enjoy it.

* * *

><p>No words describe a mother's tears<p>

No words can heal a broken heart

A dream is gone, but where there's hope

Somewhere something is calling for you

Two worlds, one family

Trust your heart

Let fate decide

To guide these lives we see

Charlie felt lousy as she sat on the couch just staring at her feet. She couldn't even remember why she had thought Jessie and James were responsible for her dad's death. In fact, it was the complete opposite. They had risked their own lives to try and help him escape, but while he may have not made it out, she did. She owed them her life. Despite all of this, there was one thing she couldn't understand. It had been five years since she had seen Jessie and James, so how would they know where she was?

"How'd you find me?" Charlie asked, being the first of the group to speak up. Everyone else was left speechless by the story, their minds trying to wrap around what they'd never known. "I could have been anywhere, but you knew exactly where I was."

"Uh," James fumbled over his words. He had not expected Charlie to ask him this question. She was already a lot keener than her father, and they had definitely underestimated her. "Well, you see…"

"The envelopes," Jessie answered for him. Charlie's eyes furrowed in confusion, not sure how Jessie and James would know about such a private matter. "We went through the box your dad gave us and saw that there was a bunch of envelopes with names on them."

"How would you know who everyone was?" Charlie questioned them, skeptical about the validity of their statement. Just because they looked through the envelopes didn't mean they would know whom they were for. "He used nicknames to cover up the real names."

"We know more than you think, Charlie," Jessie replied, giving her a tiny wink. Jessie's response threw her off guard a bit_. What did she exactly mean by that statement?_ How much did Jessie and James exactly know about whatever they were hiding from her? She couldn't help but wonder if it had to do with her dad's past. "Although," Jessie suddenly spoke up, her face twisting into a frown, "we we're disappointed to see that he didn't have an envelope for us."

"We risk our lives for him and we don't even get a measly envelope," James sighed in disappointment. "Figures we'd be left out of your scavenger hunt."

"Wait. How'd you know it was a scaven-" Charlie piped up.

"That's why we came here!" Jessie suddenly declared, interrupting Charlie before she could finish. "When we saw there was no envelope for us, we decided to find you and give you an unofficial envelope." Sticking her hand into her pocket, she pulled up a crinkled up envelope. Extending her arm, she handed it over to Charlie. "Here you go!"

Taking it, Charlie glanced back and forth between Jessie and the envelope. Why weren't they answering her question?

"It would come after _The Tomboy Mermaid_ and _The Ladies Man_," Jessie explained.

"We even created our own nickname for ourselves," James explained to her.

"_The Masters of Disguise_?" Charlie stated, although it sounded more like a question. She wasn't quite sure what the nickname had to do with Jessie and James, but she figured just like everyone else, everything would be explained in the letter.

"Seriously?" Dawn asked, arching her eyebrow a bit out of suspicion. "What's that have to do with you guys?"

"Yeah," Max agreed. "That doesn't describe you guys at all."

"You guys should be something like, _The Stalkers_," Iris suggested.

"Yeah. It was always weird how you guys followed Ash everywhere and always knew exactly where he was," May cringed.

"Who asked you?" Jessie snapped back. Turing back to Charlie she smiled sweetly and encouraged her to go ahead and open the letter. "Go on now, Dear. No reason to stand here and wait."

Nervously, she flipped over the envelope and broke the seal. "Here we go…"

_Charlie, _

_Our letter is short because there isn't much you need to know about us. All you really need to know about how we knew your dad was that we followed him through six regions trying to capture his Pikachu. In the end, we never achieved that, and only ended up helping him rescue Pikachu from the same organization that we tried to steal him for. But as we said, that's not important. That was in the past, and while we can't hide it from you forever, we hope that you will look past those things and accept us for who we are now. We say this, because what we are about to tell you will be something you won't find in one of your dad's letters. (Even he didn't see this one coming.) None of us ever imagined that his death could impact us the way it could. We'd barely ever had a friendship with your dad; it was more of a rivalry, or villains vs. hero. Nevertheless, the impact of his death led us to make the most leaf-turning decision ever. We followed through on our promise to your dad and dedicated the rest of our lives to protecting you. And as for our future, it consists of a Pokemon Nurse and a Pokemon Archaeologist raising their energetic, Pokemon loving, daughter._

_-J&J_

Charlie stopped reading and stared at the letter, wondering if the words were really there. It couldn't be true, but at the same time she knew it was. What _had_ happened to her after her dad had shoved her into the basket with Team Rocket? Due to her age and what she had just experienced, her memory of the months following her dad's death had been cloudy. She'd never questioned exactly how she'd ended up living with Christina and Daniel. As far as she knew, they had been friends of her dad's who had magically appeared and agreed to take care of her. They'd just always been there, no questions asked.

"You kept me," she stated, tearing her eyes away from the page to look at Jessie and James. "You're Christina and Daniel West, aren't you?"

_No way… _Gary gasped. His eyes widened to the size of saucers, and his mouth gaped open a bit. "Did not see that one coming," he murmured under his breath.

"Who are Christina and Daniel West?" May asked

_Hey! Charlie's last name is West, too! That's funny, _Dawn giggled to herself. _They have the same last name. _Her giggling came to an abrupt halt, though, when what she had said sunk in. _Holy Miltank! They have the same last name! That means…_Dawn's hands flew to the sides of her cap as she pulled it down. _Oh my god! They're her parents! JESSIE AND JAMES ARE HER PARENTS!_

"You're Charlie's parents!" she yelled, her hand flying to cover her mouth in shock.

"WHAT?" Everyone in the room yelped. They were shocked to say the least.

Jessie nodded, a nervous smile on her face. They knew it was time they tell Charlie the truth about who had exactly raised her. What they hadn't counted on, though, was that all the other twerps would be around, too. She really hoped that both groups took the news well.

"He never told us what to do with her, so we made the decision to raise her on our own. We had to create a new identity because we knew that if we went by Jessie and James, this twerp-" she explained pointing to Gary, "-would know who we were. With him lurking around Viridian, we had to be extra careful."

"Wait a second," Iris suddenly blurted, cutting everyone else off from saying something. "How did you guys afford to buy a house and raise Charlie? I thought you guys were always broke and taking out loans for your weird contraptions."

"My parents," James explained. "I went back home and faked a few things. I got some money from them and used it to buy us a house. Later, Jessie and I got jobs."

"After that we grabbed all her things from their apartment-we found out where he lived, stole some keys and broke in," Jessie explained. "Anyways, we left your his stuff there and cleaned it up a bit. We weren't sure what to do with it, and we figured someone else would take care of it."

"That explains why there was no sign of Charlie ever living in Ash's apartment," Brock concluded for the rest of the group. "You guys cleared it out before we got there."

It'd always been something Brock could never understand once he found out about Charlie. She had lived with Ash, so there had to have been some trace that she had been there. He'd always just assumed he had missed it, but it had become clear that he had been wrong.

They nodded. "He made it very clear that he didn't want you guys to know about her just yet, so we made sure to remove any trace of her so you wouldn't get suspicious."

"What about Meowth?" Gary asked. "Charlie mentioned you owning a Skitty, but never a Meowth."

"I just never mentioned it," Charlie replied. "We've always had a Meowth. It was Daniel's...er...I mean James's. I never knew he could talk, though."

"Meowth, that's right!"

"Although we never imagined getting along with The Twerp, let alone raising his daughter, we've had lots of fun," James added, a tiny smile on his face. "It's been quite the adventure."

"You've done a very good job," Ms. Ketchum commented, observing the happiness radiating of the faces of Jessie and James. "It's not who I expected, but that doesn't matter. Thanks to you two she's happy, healthy, and on her way to becoming a wonderful young lady."

As much they wanted to find fault in Jessie and James' actions, nobody in the room could come up with a reason as to why Charlie growing up with Jessie and James had been a bad idea. As far as they knew, she'd grown up with a couple named Christina and Daniel West. They had raised Charlie so that she would have a better life than if she was left alone. There had been no harm done to Charlie, and overall, she turned out fine. Like Ms. Ketchum had mentioned, it wasn't what any of them would have expected, but Jessie and James had done as well as any of them would have been able to. Maybe even better considering they had been given her two parents when the most any of them would have been able to provide was one.

"So are you two married?" May asked, waving her finger between the two.

Jessie laughed, a tiny blush appearing on her cheeks. "No we aren't. We just extended our partnership to take care of Charlie." She paused for a moment, debating if she should add one more thing. "I hope we didn't ruin your image of us, Charlie."

"Believe it or not, we've grown quite attached," James grinned at her.

Instead of giving Jessie a verbal answer, Charlie just smiled back at her. It didn't matter to her that Jessie and James were her real parents. As far as she was concerned they were the same Christina and Daniel that had raised her. Just because they weren't who she had thought they were didn't mean her view of them changed. Granted, it explained and cleared up a few things, but she didn't hate them or suddenly decide she didn't want to be with them because of what she had discovered. In fact, it made their role in her life even more prominent. Not only had they saved her life, but they had selflessly dedicated their lives after to taking care of her. Her dad had never asked them to take care of her for him; they'd just done it because they thought it was right.

"Me, too," she finally replied, throwing an equally pleased smile back at James.

"I don't know what's more impressive," Iris interjected. "The fact that she survived being raised by Ash, or being raised by Team Rocket?"

"No need to worry about that now, Iris," Ms. Ketchum replied. "She's here and she's alive. In the meantime, how about I fix us some dinner?" Due to Team Rocket's sudden appearance, everyone had forgotten about dinner. With thoughts of food now drifting through their minds again, they eagerly agreed. "Splendid. Jessie, James, Meowth, make yourself at home."

"What's for dinner?" Charlie asked.

"It's a surprise," her grandmother replied, a slightly mischievous smile on her face. "How about you help me out?"

"Okay!" Hopping off the couch, Charlie followed her grandmother into the kitchen.

As if they were waiting for her to exit the room, everyone remained quiet until they were sure Charlie was out of earshot. Once she was gone, things seemed to slowly fall into place. Without Charlie around, Jessie, James and Meowth could express some of their old personality.

"I'd never thought I would see so many twerps in one place," Jessie commented as she scanned the room where Ash's friends were sitting. "Next time you guys have a reunion, make sure to invite us so we don't have to crash it."

"Sure thing," Misty replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Next time one of has a kid and sends them on a scavenger hunt to meet the friends they never told, we'll let you know. Then again, you'll probably already know since you'll probably be the ones that secretly raised them."

Instead of getting upset, Jessie-along with James- frowned at Misty. They'd known her just as long as they'd known Ash, so they had always known how much each meant to the other. When Ash had told them that Charlie wasn't Misty's daughter, they had been shocked. They knew how Misty felt about Ash, and they had assumed Ash felt the same way, but maybe they were wrong. They could only imagine what Misty had felt when she'd learned about Charlie.

"We would have given her to you it hadn't been for him begging us not to say anything and the box he left Charlie," James added. He didn't know if it would help Misty or not, but he felt like it needed to be said.

"Why not her mom?" Ruby asked. Since Jessie and James didn't know her true identity, she was able to ask these questions without any bias. She just had to make sure that nobody blew her cover. "Didn't he tell you where her mom was?"

If Ash had a feeling he wasn't going to make it out alive, he would have had enough time to tell Jessie and James where to find her, right?

"Who are you?" Jessie asked instead of answering Ruby's question. "I don't recall seeing you before. You must be a new twerp."

While Ruby wasn't exactly sure what twerp meant, she just went with it. "Uh, yeah. I'm Ruby. I'm a friend of Gary's," she lied. If she associated herself with Ash, they might discover who she was. Then again, she did look like Charlotte, so if they took a good look at her, they could easily uncover the truth for themselves.

"Oh."

"Um…well, we didn't know anything about her mom. He never told us anything about her, so we had no way of finding her. We figured the Twerpy Little Redhead would be best because her and The Twerp were really good friends."

"Dey was in love, but dey were too stubborn to admit it," Meowth pointed out.

Despite the fact that Misty was shooting daggers at Team Rocket, there was a wave of nods and snickers that traveled through the group.

Ruby froze for a second. She didn't know what was more shocking: The fact that Ash had never said anything to Jessie and James about her, or the fact that everyone seemed to be in agreement that Ash and Misty were in love? In the end, though, it was Ash and Misty that affected her the most. Despite never having received Charlotte, she had eventually been reunited with her daughter. She could change her relationship with her daughter, but she couldn't change the fact that there was a chance Ash never loved her.

No matter how hard she tried, there was no denying the truth. If a group of people all agreed that there had been something between Ash and Misty, Ruby would be stupid to think it was just a fluke. It was obvious Ash's friends knew him well, so they obviously wouldn't make this accusation if they didn't have anything to back it up. She'd been strung along the entire time, thinking that he had cared about her. In the end, though, everything they had experienced was a lie that he had just followed along with because it helped with the act they were trying to put up for Charlotte.

She felt her stomach tie into knots and her throat tighten as the truth finally dawned on her. How could she be so stupid? She wanted to cry or run from the room in order to escape the embarrassment.

"Ruby," Gary whispered just loud enough for her to hear. After calling her name a few times, she finally responded by turning to look at him. "Everything alright? You kind of got really quiet."

When she didn't respond right away, he was about to rest his hand on her shoulder when she snapped. "No!" she shouted, not caring that her voice was much louder than Gary had anticipated. "You lied to me. When I asked you why they called him Misty's boyfriend, you said it meant nothing! You didn't tell me he loved her! Were they dating, too?"

Gary was bewildered. He didn't think Ruby would ever figure it out, but it appeared she had. And since he'd never planned on her finding out, he didn't know what to do.

"Ruby, I did it to protect you," he tried to explain to her. "I thought if you found out, you'd be really hurt; that you'd jump to conclusions you didn't even know were true."

Protect her? He'd protected her from nothing! By not telling her, he would have allowed her to go along thinking that what her and Ash had once had was real. But by telling her, she would only discover that he had only acted that way for Charlotte's sake.

"We weren't dating," Misty said, increasing the volume of her voice so she was heard. This of course, directed Ruby's attention to Misty, who instantly regretted saying anything. "We were just friends."

"Should we leave?" Dawn whispered to Brock, slightly concerned about what might unfold in a few seconds.

Knowing that it would be best if they left Ruby and Misty to talk it out without an audience, Brock nodded his head. With Brocks confirmation, the rest of the people in the room began to tiptoe their way out of the room. If Misty and Ruby noticed, they never said anything, their eyes locked on each other.

"But they said you two loved each other," Ruby protested. Dating or not, Ash still obviously loved someone else. "People don't make that stuff up unless they have evidence to back it up."

Misty sighed, knowing Ruby wasn't about to give up. Biting her lip, Misty carried on with her conversation, never daring to look back. "I did love him, but he never loved me back. In the letter Charlie gave me, he told me everything. He said he knew how I felt about him, but he apologized because he couldn't say he felt the same way."

Ruby's face faltered for a second as she debated whether or not Misty was telling the truth. While she waited for Ruby to say something, Misty took a second to take a deep breath. She was thankful that everyone had slipped out of the room before any of them could call her bluff. Normally she didn't agree with keeping the truth from people, but this was a special circumstance.

Just like Gary was trying to do, Misty knew it was best to keep Ruby from uncovering the truth. If Ruby found out, she would only be hurt, something Misty could understand very well. Although Misty was no longer in Ruby's position, she had been there when Charlie first showed up. Even though Ash had told her in his letter that he loved her, she had doubted it for days. He had gone missing because he was hiding the fact that he had a daughter with someone else. How could he tell her he loved her when there was some other woman he had done _that _with? If Ruby believed that Ash had never loved Misty, than it would lessen the blow of their relationship falling apart. With Ash not returning the feelings of Misty, there was no other girl.

"Look, Ruby," Misty sighed. Gliding over to where Ruby was sitting, Misty hesitated a second before deciding to sit down next to her. "I know how you feel. Losing him was one of the hardest things I had to go through, and I can only imagine what you went through having to add not being with Charlotte. But putting that aside, you can't dwell on this forever. As much as we'd all love for him to come back, Ash isn't going to. It took me a while, but when I realized that, I actually felt better."

"What do you mean?"

"What I'm saying is that you deserve to be happy, and you deserve a second chance at finding that special someone. Basically, you need to move on with your life. You can't let Ash hold you back. It's okay to still love him, but there's other guys out there who're willing to care for you, so don't go and miss it because you're dwelling on what happened between you and Ash."

Whether it was the truth or not-although she was pretty sure Misty was lying to protect her- Ruby could relate to what Misty had said. Ash was gone, but here she was dwelling on what might or might not have been. Just because Ash never loved her back didn't mean someone else couldn't love her. It also applied to her in the fact that just because Ash was gone didn't mean she couldn't love someone else and be happily married.

So what if Ash didn't love her? Yeah it would hurt for a while, and she would know for a fact that everything was a fake, but she could do better than that. She could find someone who truly loved her. If she sat around wondering what if and fighting to get back something she never had in the first place, she'd get nowhere. Misty had picked herself up and moved on, and so could she. And without a doubt, Ruby was confident that if she asked, Gary would help her every step of the way.

Although Misty wasn't sure if Ruby fully believed her, she decided to throw in something that any friend of Ash's knew to be true.

"I don't know much about your relationship with Ash, but I can tell you guys were good friends," Misty remarked. "But knowing Ash for as long as I have, I know that he would want you to be happy and that he wouldn't want you to put your life on hold for him."

As much as she hated to admit it, Ruby knew that had been exactly what she had been doing. She'd avoided anything to do with Ash after he left and waited for him to come back.

Letting out a large sigh, she said, "I know you don't like me very much. I wouldn't like you very much either if things were switched, but you can tell me the truth." While Misty didn't deny these feelings towards Ruby, or the fact she had lied, it didn't seem to bother Ruby. Instead, Ruby's voice softened as a tiny smile appeared on her face. "For example, I know how much Pikachu and Charlotte mean to him, yet he gave Pikachu to you instead of his own daughter. And if he hadn't kept her from you until she found you herself, I'm positive he would have handed her right over to you."

Ruby watched as Misty tried her best to come up with a reason why those things didn't mean anything. Still, not matter how hard she tried, she couldn't lie anymore; Ruby knew the truth. Giving in, Misty sighed in defeat.

"It's okay," Ruby assured her. Sticking her hand out, she offered it to Misty. "Truce?"

What Misty was agreeing to, she wasn't quite sure. Nevertheless, she offered her own hand and shook Ruby's. She didn't like her very much, nor did she think she ever would, but she could be mature and set aside her differences.

"Um, my grandma told me to take these out to you," a tiny voice explained from a few feet away from them. As both of them turned toward the source of the noise, they spotted Charlie standing near the doorway, two plates in her hand and a happy Pikachu on her shoulder. When Misty and Ruby, tried to crane their necks to see what was on the plate, Charlie extended them toward the two women. "It's Peanut Butter and Jelly. Just the way my dad made it."

"Ah, so this is the famous PB&J you lived off of?" Ruby grinned in amusement.

For what felt like the first time to Ruby, Charlie smile back at her, and without having to say anything, Charlie and Ruby seemed to understand what the other was feeling. And as Ruby and Misty made their way over to Charlie, they saw nothing but Charlie glowing with happiness. Her grandmother barely knew her, yet she seemed to know exactly what she needed.

* * *

><p>Heads up: The next chapter will either have Charlie back in Viridian, or I'm going to jump ahead to the league.<p> 


	19. The Little Twerp

_Even those who are gone_

_Are with us as we go on  
>Your journey has only begun<br>Tears of pain tears of joy  
>One thing nothing can destroy<br>Is our pride deep inside  
>We are one<em>

It was bright, sunny Monday morning when Charlie returned to her room after eating a big breakfast. Today was the day she would be challenging the Viridian City Gym Leader for her final badge. Grabbing the clothes she had set out earlier, she made her way to the bathroom to get changed. After she was dressed, she went to run downstairs when she remembered something in her closet. Kneeling down, she shifted her way through a pile of dirty clothes, in search of one particular item. She knew she needed to clean her room-as her mom had told her, it looked like a bomb went off. She just hadn't had time with all the training she had been doing since she got back.

Starting the second week of January, she and Grayson had been going to Gary's training school to prepare for the upcoming league. Everyday from Monday to Friday she woke up at 7:30 and didn't get back home until 7:30 that night, when she would promptly walk to her room and crash on her bed. It was only on the weekends that she got a break, but even then her days were pact full of practicing what Gary had taught her and battles with Grayson. It was a rigorous schedule, but she couldn't deny that fact that she had learned so much, and that her battling skills had improved significantly. It wasn't all battling, though. In the morning her and Grayson would help Gary with his classes that prepared new trainers for traveling. Then they would break for lunch, followed by one more class and finally the actual battling.

At the very bottom of the pile, in a red box that still had some wrapping paper attached to it, she finally found what she had been searching for: her father's million-postcard-hat. She had received her father's old hat from her grandma for her birthday. She had meant to wear it, but she had set in her closet, having no time to sort through the presents. Eventually she had forgotten it was there, but it was her nervousness towards facing the Viridian City Gym that had reminded her it was there. Due to its age, the hat showed many signs of wear and tear from the various adventures her dad had been on. It had even lost its original shape form the times her dad had stashed it to protect it. She didn't mind, though. As her grandmother had said when she gave it to Charlie, this hat had survived the ocean, snow, fire, heavy rain, high winds, and Pokemon attacks. She was lucky it was still in one piece. Kind of just like her dad.

As she slowly stood up, she gently dusted off any dust or dirt that might have gathered on it from her closet. Once she was sure it was dust free, she threw it on her head and rushed out the door.

OOOO

"You know what I realized?" Grayson asked as they stopped a few yards away from the Viridian City Gym. "I've lived in this town practically my whole life, and I don't think I've ever seen the Gym Leader once."

"Now that I think about it, neither have I," Charlie added. She remembered her dad had once worked for the Viridian City Gym, but she didn't recall ever visiting it. And having no reason to visit the gym other than now, she'd never thought about this before. Plus, she was pretty sure her dad had worked for a different person than who ran the gym now. Did she even know who the leader was? "Who is the gym leader?"

Grayson just shrugged his shoulders, having no answer to Charlie's question. How they could go this long without knowing, he had no idea. Then again, the Viridian City had changed leaders many times, making it more understandable that someone wouldn't know whom it was.

"Well," Charlie declared, stepping forward, "let's find out! I'll race you!"

"You know what? You go and run ahead. Pikachu and I'll enjoy a nice walk. Right, Pikachu?"

Pikachu, who had been hitching a ride on Grayson's shoulder, quickly agreed. He hated having to hang on while Charlie ran. He'd rather her walk to wherever they were going.

"Alright. Your loss," she called as she sprinted ahead.

"She's weird, Pikachu," Grayson commented as he watched Charlie race toward the entrance of the gym.

"Pi," Pikachu nodded in agreement.

As Charlie rushed ahead, Grayson and Pikachu enjoyed their short walk to the gym's entrance. Unlike Charlie, they would rather avoid wearing themselves out before they had to battle their toughest opponent yet. Then again, to Grayson, Charlie seemed to have a never-ending source of energy that allowed her to do anything. When he had mentioned this to Gary, however, he said that he would attribute this source of power to determination. That just like her parents, when she was determined, it seemed nothing could slow her down. He hadn't really known her parents that well, but from what he had heard about them, it seemed to make sense. But that wasn't him. He preferred to go with the flow of things, and when he got tired, he would just stop. It wasn't that he wasn't determined or that he was lazy, it was just that he didn't see the point in rushing through everything. He'd rather take time to smell the roses, as his mother always used to say.

Upon reaching the entrance to the gym, Grayson noticed a man walking from behind the building. He had on what looked like a jersey, some gym shorts, and very bright, green hair. Next to him stood a Sandslash that, from what Grayson could tell, looked to be fairly tough

"Hi!" Charlie greeted the man, stopping only a few feet away from him. "Do you know if the gym leader is here right now?"

"Yep," the man answered back. Sticking out his hand, he proceeded to introduce himself. "The name's A.J., and this here's my Sandslash. We just happen to be the leaders of this here gym."

Charlie and Grayson were shocked. This was Viridian City Gym Leader?

"Are you two looking for a battle?"

"I am," Charlie budged in, stepping forward. "My name's Charlie West and I challenge you to a gym battle. The Earth Badge is the last badge I need and I don't plan on leaving without it."

"Just because you earned a bunch of badges doesn't mean your as good as you think you are," A.J. shot back, snickering at Charlie. This only caused her to scowl in annoyance. She knew she wasn't great, but she had worked hard to earn those badges. He had no right to shoot down her abilities like that. "But we'll see. You could be my 90th victory."

"90th victory?" Grayson asked, a mix of fear and awe in his voice.

"That's right. 100 matches total. I've won 89 times and lost 11 times The beginners all think they can beat us with ease, but we put them in their place."

"I'll be your 12th loss," Charlie shot back. "I promise."

"We'll see."

Turning around, A.J. headed into the gym, Grayson, Pikachu and Charlie close behind. Instructing Charlie to head to the trainer's square, A.J. walked to the other end of the battlefield and took his position in the gym leader square. At the sight of a challenger, the judge hopped off the bench he had been sitting on and ran to the center of the field. Charlie listened as the judge explained the rules-three on three battle, no time limit, etc-before she heard the magic words she had been waiting to hear. As the judge waved his flags to signal the start of the match, Charlie gripped a Pokeball in her hand.

OOOO

One tough and mind straining battle later, Charlie stood victorious. Recalling his Golbat, A.J. met Charlie in the middle of the field. Grabbing a badge out of his pocket, he handed it over to the eagerly awaiting Charlie.

"Congratulations, Charlie," he smiled at her he handed over the badge. "You were quite the opponent today. You proved me wrong and you won this badge fair and square."

"Thank you," Charlie beamed back as she took the badge from A.J.'s outstretched palm. Whipping around, she showed the shiny, new badge to Pikachu. "Look, Pikachu! We did it! Our last badge! You know what this means?" Of course Pikachu knew what it meant. He'd been through this multiple times with Ash. It wasn't rocket science. Nevertheless, he was just as excited as she was. He'd finally get a chance to redeem himself after so many years of waiting around. "Time to register for the league!"

"Actually, it's time for you to watch MY match," Grayson butted in, reminding Charlie of the other reason they had come here.

"Of course."

As Grayson and A.J. returned to the battlefield for their match, Charlie took a second to stare at the giant scoreboard on the wall behind A.J. And as the judge listed off the same rules he had told Charlie, she watched as the giant eleven changed into a twelve. Just two more weeks and she'd be able to put her training skills to the test.

OOOO

It was around lunchtime as Gary made his way through the busy streets of the Indigo Plateau. With the start of the Pokemon League just a day away, the Indigo Plateau was packed to its max capacity. As Gary passed by a restaurant, he suddenly veered out of the crowd and over to the entrance of the sidewalk. Brushing past the lady standing at the hostess stand, he entered the restaurant and headed toward the outside patio. Taking a second, he let his eyes flicker past the tables of people sitting outside. And as his eyes reached the far corner of the outside patio, he spotted the exact person he had been looking for.

Even though it would be easier for him to have found her if she had faced the door, Ruby sat in her chair with her back facing the entrance, a baseball cap on her head, and a menu blocking her face from view. As the newest member of the Elite Four, Ruby had to go undercover if she wanted to avoid the attention of the people nearby. It'd taken her a while to achieve her dream, but thanks to a visit to Pallet Town, she'd gotten the push she needed.

After returning to Saffron in January, Ruby quickly realized that this wasn't her home anymore. It had been meant to keep hidden from the things she hadn't wanted to face, but now it felt too far away from everything and people like Charlotte, Gary and Ms. Ketchum. After having them suddenly thrown back into her life, she'd finally realized just how much she had missed them, and how she wanted them to remain a part of her life. And for the first time in a while, she'd truly changed things by accepting the position on the Elite Four and moving to the Indigo Plateau, a place not too far from Viridian and Pallet Town.

As Gary sat down and got his first look at Ruby, he just shook his head. She looked very out of place with her sky blue sundress, red baseball cap, and oversized sunglasses. "You look ridiculous, Rubes." At the same time he said this, though, he couldn't help but think she still looked pretty. To Gary, she looked more like the little girl he had been friends with long ago, and that made him happy. "Next time you create an undercover disguise, I suggest you take some advice from Jessie and James."

Slapping the menu on the table, Ruby let out a large sigh of defeat as she pulled off her sunglasses and set them down. "I know I suck," she huffed. "Then again, I didn't really have much time to think of a disguise."

"That busy, huh?"

Ruby nodded. "Between training and all the events I have to attend, I barely have any time. This is the first time in a while I had any free time to actually go out and get lunch."

"Well I'm glad you were able to join me," Gary replied. That last time he had seen her was when he had helped her move into her new apartment, so this lunch was the first time they had gotten to spend time together in a while. Despite this gap in seeing her, she looked good. He could tell that she was a bit stressed out but, for what felt like the first time in a while, she looked happy. "How's the new title treating you, Ms. Elite Four?"

"I love it," she beamed back at him, her face radiating with happiness. "It's a lot of work, but I don't know… when I get out on that field, it doesn't feel like a job at all. It feels like when I was younger and battling all the gym leaders, but only harder."

Just then, a waiter came to their table to take their drink orders. Once Ruby was sure he was out of earshot, she continued talking.

"I'm worried, though," she admitted to Gary, her eyes narrowed in concern. "This isn't the first time I've been in the public eye, but being a Grand Festival champion isn't as high a status as being a member of the Elite Four, especially in Kanto. People are going to want to know everything about me, and I mean everything."

"You're worried they're going to find out about Ash," Gary stated, summarizing the main reason behind why Ruby was so worried.

"Not only that, but I'm worried about Charlotte. Once it gets out that she's my daughter-and I know it will-she's going to be bombarded by reporters and rumors. I've already caused her enough trouble; dragging her into the mess of being the child of a celebrity is the last thing I want to do to her." It was also then that another thought passed through Ruby's mind. "What if bad things happen to her because of her connection to me? What if Team Rocket finds out she's still alive? What if they try to go after her? I swear if something happens to her because of me I'll never for-"

"Ruby, calm down," he instructed her as he rested his hands over her hands, abruptly cutting off her rant. He paused a moment, listening for her breathing to return to its normal pace. "Like you said, someone is going to find out about Ash, you can't prevent that. As for Charlie, you're going to just have to warn her in advanced. It'll be rocky at first, but something else will happen and it'll blow over. And you don't need to worry about Team Rocket. Nothing's going to happen to her."

"But they-" Ruby tried to protest.

"Ruby," he snapped, his voice stern and his eyes full of intensity, "I wont' let anything happen to her. I promise you."

It struck Ruby as rather odd that Gary was promising her such a serious thing-even stating that he would be the one to prevent her from harm. In no way was Charlotte his daughter, yet he acted like she was. As far as Ruby knew, Gary had acted this way since he first met Charlotte. While Ash's other friends had taken an interest in Charlotte and enjoyed spending time with her, it was Gary who Ruby noticed spending the most time with her. She knew it was easier for him to spend time with her because they lived in the same city, but even then, Gary had gone out of his way to train Charlotte and take her to visit Pallet-he'd even closed down his training school to drive her to the Indigo Plateau for Christina and Daniel, who had to work. Now, he was promising Ruby that he would protect Charlotte-maybe even risk his life-to ensure that nothing happened to her.

"Gary, she's my daughter. While I appreciate you trying to protect her for me, it's not your job." Although years had passed since they had last seen each other, Ruby still knew Gary well enough to know that what he was doing wasn't even about Charlotte. It was just his way of going about whatever he was trying to achieve. "And while I know you care for Charlotte, you and I both know that this isn't about her. So please tell me, Gary. What's this really about?"

What Gary said next caught Ruby off guard. "There's no alterior motive, Ruby. Believe it or not, I care about Charlie just as much as you do. Plus, she's a mixture of only two friends I've ever had. How can I not love her?"

"Because she's a mixture of Ash and I," Ruby teased, a smirk on her face.

"You're right. Love may be too strong a word. You two were always rather annoying," he teased her. This, of course, got the scowl he wanted from her. "Nonetheless, like I said, she's the product of my two best friends, so I just feel like I should take care of her. It's like I'm her uncle," he said. Leaning back in his chair he crossed his arms across he chest, and with his notorious smirk, said, "Plus, who else is going to tell her all the embarrassing stories about her mom?"

"Figures," Ruby sighed. "And here I was thinking that Gary Oak had admitted that he actually loved something relating to Ash."

"Nah," Gary replied, bushing the air with his hand, "it's just the Ruby part I love about her."

"Oh?" Raising her eyebrow in interest, Ruby said, "I wasn't aware she had a Ruby side."

"Of course she does," Gary replied. "And it shines through when she battles. At times she's experimental with attacks like Ash, but most of the time she's strategic and applies contest battle skills just like you. Although, I should add that she has a developed a unique strategy of her own where she uses her Pokemon's personalities."

"Ooo," Ruby awed. Suddenly, though, her eyes begin to glimmer with excitement. "Just think, Gary! The other day I was thinking about how I'd never seen Charlotte battle before, but tomorrow, I'll get to finally get to see her in action. I'll get to see my own daughter in the Pokemon League!"

As Gary watched Ruby's face, she had this motherly look about her that he'd never really seen before. In fact, he didn't think he'd ever seen her this happy before either. He figured it was probably because of some parental thing he didn't understand. Even though he had known for some time, it was still odd for him to think of Ruby as a mother. She'd always been younger than him by a few months, but here she was already with a kid and a high-ranking title.

"That's great, Rubes," he replied with a warm smile. "I'm really happy for you."

A tiny silence feel between them as neither could think of what to say next. Just as Gary was about to ask Ruby about something random, she spoke up.

"Gary," she called his name, "I know I should have done this earlier, but I want to thank you…for everything."

"It's fine Ruby. You don't need to thank me."

"No, I do," she protested, her voice firm and unwavering. "Just listen to me. I wouldn't be where I am now without you. Without your help I would have never have found Charlotte, nor would I have ever returned to Pallet Town. And knowing that you're there in Viridian looking out for Charlotte just brings me some peace of mind. When you needed me, I bailed and wasn't there for you, but over and over, you helped me when you had no reason to. I don't think I could ever repay you for everything, but I want you to know how much it's all meant to me. It really…"

Now was the time to tell her. She had built it up for him, and now he could say what he'd wanted to say for some time. That he'd do anything for her because he loved her.

"Ruby, there's something I need to tell you."

"…I can only hope that I can be as good a friend to you as you are to me."

As if someone had slammed on the breaks of a high-speed car, everything came to a screeching halt. His perfect moment had been obliterated by her words. In her eyes, he was nothing but a friend. He'd never be more in her life. And with that in mind, no matter how much she begged him to stay, Gary couldn't sit there any longer. He needed to get out of there and think.

Abruptly standing up, he startled Ruby who looked up at him with confusion in her eyes. "I have to go," he told her, not caring to elaborate on why. He didn't mean to sound so mean, but his emotions were starting to get the better of him. He needed to get out of there before he took it out on her. Slamming in his chair, he attempted to walk out as fast as he could.

Jumping out of her own chair, Ruby whirled around. "What? Where are you going?"

Pausing a few feet away from her, he turned around and said, "I can't tell you. I just need to go. See you tomorrow." After that he turned back around and left, leaving Ruby to stare at his departing form.

"Gary…."

OOOO

"Welcome, how may I help you?" the lady at the registration desk asked in a peppy voice.

"I'd like to register for the league, please," Charlie replied. Her heart was beating a mile a minute. After a whole year of training and traveling, she was finally here.

"Alright. I'm going to need your Pokedex and your badges," the women explained as she typed away at her keyboard. Pulling out her Pokedex and her badge case, Charlie set them on the counter and waited for further direction. Grabbing her badge case of the counter, the women glanced at her before she stuck it in a little machine. A second later the machine dinged, a green light glowing from on top. Pulling the case out, the women handed it back to Charlie. "You're all set on the badges. I just have to register your Pokedex and you'll be on your way."

"Thank you."

When the woman slid her Pokedex in the slot attached to the computer, her ID information appeared on the little screen in front of her. Along with a picture taken on the first day of her journey and her name, it listed her birth date, weight, height, hair color, eye color, and hometown. She didn't know there was that much info about her on a Pokedex.

"Charlotte Ketchum?" the women read of the screen, making sure that's who was indeed in front of her. The women stopped typing and turned to look at Charlie, giving her an incredulous look. Charlie figured she probably thought she was making it up as a joke. "Is that correct?'

"Yes," Charlie firmly stated.

All her life she had gone by West, and while she didn't mind it, after learning the truth about her dad, she felt like she wasn't doing her true last name justice. She no longer had to pretend she didn't exist to the world outside Viridian, and that she had no relation to a trainer that had been well known in the training community. Now, if she wanted, she could go by her true last name and let the world know whose daughter she really was, which was exactly what she had decided to do. After getting the okay from Christina and Daniel, who understood her desire behind the change, she had asked Professor Oak to change her Pokedex for her.

The women stared at her, as if she was hoping her drawn out stare would cause Charlie to crack and admit that she was just kidding. When Charlie didn't break eye contact after a few seconds, the women finally gave in with a hefty sigh.

Rather begrudgingly, the women finished up inputting Charlie's information before handing back her Pokedex. "These are the official rules," the women informed her as she handed over a book to Charlie. "Your battle arena, opponent, and time will be posted tomorrow morning at eight. Opening ceremonies start at six sharp."

"Thank you!" Charlie beamed back at her.

The women ignored her and went back to typing on her computer.

OOOO

She raced through the crowd, dodging people as she tried not to crash into them. If things had gone as planned, she wouldn't be running like crazy, but as she should have expected, something had to go wrong. While training with her dad's Bayleef, it had gotten mad at her-why, she didn't know-and run off. Much to her annoyance, she had to chase after it and try and find it before it knocked anyone over or caused damage somewhere. Of course, though, this process had taken more time than she had anticipated, causing her to have less time to make it to the arena where Grayson's first match was. So, to make up for lost time, she was forced to sprint her way there.

With the entrance to the stadium in sight, she pushed herself to go faster. She didn't make it, however, instead crashing right into someone she hadn't seen. Having hit the person straight on, she lost her balance and toppled to the ground. It hurt, too. Rubbing her head, she picked herself up from the ground and attempted to dust herself off.

Shielding her eyes from the sun, she looked up to get a good look at the person she had run into. Due to the direction the person was standing, the sun altered their appearance so that all she saw was their shadowy outline. And it was this shadowy outline that left her gawking with her breath caught in her throat.

"You okay?" the person asked, extending a hand to help her up.

Charlie stayed frozen where she was, convinced she was dreaming. There was no other explanation for it. The silhouette in front of her stood tall, their head surrounded by spiky hair, and a baseball cap sitting on top. To add to the figure, on their shoulder she saw the outline of what she knew to be a Pikachu. She knew only one person who fit that description, but that person wasn't around anymore. Still, the mere coincidence of the situation freaked her out.

In a very delayed amount of time, Charlie finally registered what the man had said. "Sorry, yeah I'm okay."

Grabbing his hand, she allowed him to help her up. Once she was standing, she dusted herself off and looked back at the man. When she did, her face fell in disappointment. She knew it was too good to be true. It was still freaky, though.

"I'm sorry I ran into you," Charlie finally apologized. "I was kind of in a hurry and I didn't see you… I'm really sorry."

"It's no problem," the man assure her, throwing her an understanding smile. "We're okay. Right, Sparky?"

"Pi," the Pikachu sitting atop his shoulder nodded in agreement.

"Thanks." For a second she stood there awkwardly, waiting for him to say something to her. "Well, I'm already running behind. So I really have to go. Bye!"

With that said, she turned around and ran off in the other direction, taking care to watch where she was going this time. The man watched her as she ran off, laughing at her peculiar actions. He knew he'd never seen the girl before, but something about her looked vaguely familiar. And when she had looked at him, she looked as if she had seen a ghost. Figuring he wouldn't solve anything, he just shook his head and headed off toward the stadium.

OOOO

"Alright, Charlie. We're going to head out now so we can get a good spot," her mother explained. Before her first match they had come down to the waiting room to wish her good luck. "You going to be okay?"

"I think so," Charlie replied, even though her heart was racing a mile a minute.

She had eaten breakfast, but she felt like she had eaten nothing at all. Her stomach was in knots, and her heart was beating a mile a minute. She was even shaking a bit. It wasn't even time yet, but she felt like she was about to walk onto the field any second. As she sat on the bench waiting, the ringing in her ears from the crowd only made things worse. Even the florescent lighting throughout the backstage area was starting to give her a headache. She honestly never thought she'd been as nervous as she was now.

"You'll be fine," Daniel assured her, giving her shoulder a tiny squeeze. "But if you need anything, we'll all be here to help you."

"Thanks."

She really was grateful for the help her dad's friends had offered her, but that didn't ease the nerves. She'd seen most of them earlier that morning, but it had only been her parents who had come down to the actual waiting room. Everyone else had offered there wishes of good luck that morning, and were now seated in a big group somewhere in the audience. Audience. Even that word sent chills up and down her spine. She'd battled gym leaders and trainers all throughout her journey, but she'd never had an audience quite like the one she was going to experience today. Not only would the people in the stands be watching, but people around the world would also be watching her on their TVs. Plus, Grayson had already won his first match this morning, making it even more crucial that she also won her's.

"Good luck, sweetie," her mom told her as she gave Charlie a final hug. "And remember, just try to have fun."

"We'll make sure to save you some hot dogs and a soda for when you're done," Daniel added.

Apparently, her parents had volunteered to help sell concessions in the stands during the league. When they had told her this, they had explained how they used to do this as an undercover tactic, but even though they were no longer working for Team Rocket, they felt they couldn't attended the league without indulging in their past a bit.

"Thanks," Charlie replied. "I'll meet you guys out in the lobby after the match, okay?"

Giving an affirmative nod, Christina and Daniel gave one final wave before heading out. Once they had left, Charlie slowly sat back down on the bench. Letting the anticipation of her upcoming match grow, her nerves only got worse. Even though other trainers surrounded her, she felt alone. To add to the nerves, her brain was racing through the last minute tips Iris, Max and Gary had given her earlier that morning. She knew these matches were important, but trying to remember everything and then act on the suggestion made her brain hurt.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu cried out as he hopped on her lap. When she looked down, his big, black eyes stared back her with concern. "Pika pi? Pi pi pi?"

Charlie sighed, but did not answer him. She still didn't know what any of that meant. Instead, she just patted him on the head and smiled back. Although he appreciated the affection from Charlie, he was slightly annoyed she didn't answer his question. He could tell something was bothering her, but without her help, he couldn't make her feel better.

"_Only five more years, and that's going to be me!" Charlie cried out in glee as she curled up in her dad's lap. After dinner the two of them had sat down to watch the Pokemon League. _

"_Oh jeez," Ash laughed, his eyes shining with happiness. It had been a long time, but he could remember when he was her age and he, too, dreamed about being in the Pokemon League. "Another Ketchum in the Pokemon League? What will the world do?" _

_Turning to face her dad, Charlie grinned back at him. "You and Pikachu will be there to watch me, right?" _

"_Of course we will, silly," he teased her, ruffling her hair with his hand. "We wouldn't miss it for the world, right buddy?" _

"_Pika!" Pikachu chirped back. _

"_See? No need to worry. We'll be there and we'll be your number one fans." _

Part of the promise had been kept-Pikachu was here. And unlike what her dad had said, Pikachu wasn't cheering her on from atop her dad's shoulder; he was actually going to get to battle on her behalf. It wasn't what she had dreamed about for years, though. Pokemon battling was _his _thing, and he should be here coaching her every step of the way. She couldn't think about that now. She needed a distraction, and she knew just where to find it. Grabbing her bag from the floor, she pulled out the last envelope. Pulling out the note card, she read the clue for what felt like the millionth time.

_11. Indigo Plateau_

_This last clue is all up to you. You can choose to find this person before you compete, or after you are finished. The person you are looking for goes by Little Twerp, and is a proud member-I hope-and the daughter of the leader of Team Twerp. We didn't know each other for very long, but they taught me so many things I never forgot. If you need them, they'll be there waiting for you, but if you can't figure it out, fill free to open the letter to them. I won't count it against you. Good luck. _

According to the note card, she was where she needed to be in order to find who she was looking for. The only problem was that she had no idea whom it was. She'd been able to narrow some things down; such as it's a girl, they're younger than her dad's friends, and that her dad didn't know them very long. While there were some of his friends who fit those requirements, she had already given them letters, so it couldn't be them. Maybe if she figured out who Team Twerp was, she could narrow it down. But who would know?

"Pikachupi!" Pikachu suddenly cried as he leaped off Charlie's lap, onto her shoulder, and somewhere behind her.

"Hey there, Pikachu," Charlie heard a voice greet him. When she turned around, she saw Pikachu sitting contently in Misty's arms. _What's Misty doing here? _"Hey there Charlie!" she greeted her as she walked toward her.

"Oh. Hi, Misty." Setting the envelope and note card in her lap, she scooted over so Misty could sit down if she wanted to. "Not that I mind, but what are you doing here? I thought you'd be in the stands with everyone else."

"Brock was worried about you, so he asked me to come check on you," Misty explained. "I'm glad I did, too. You look a little pale. You feeling okay?"

"I'm nervous," Charlie admitted.

Misty returned the gesture with a sympathetic smile, understanding how Charlie must be feeling. After all, she was a new trainer and this was something she had spent the last few months preparing for.

"It's okay to be nervous. Everyone gets nervous." Pikachu nodded in agreement. Although this wasn't his first league, this was his first one in a while. "What are you nervous about? Sometimes it helps if you talk about it."

"Becoming the laughing stock of the Pokemon League," Charlie told her. "My dad was a great trainer-made it pretty far from what I've been told. I just don't want to fail. I want him to be proud of him."

"You're not going to become the laughing stock of the Pokemon League, Charlie," Misty assured her.

"But he's not here anymore, and I really need him now," Charlie protested. Grabbing the envelope, she waved it in the air. "After I read this last letter, there won't be any left. I can read them over and over if I want, but it won't be the same."

Sighing, Misty blew a strand of hair out of her face. Glancing at Charlie, she felt something pull at her heartstrings. She reminded her of him so much that it left an aching feeling in her chest. But this wasn't him; this was his daughter. And even that was something Misty still found difficult to wrap her head around. But here she was, talking to his daughter and knowing exactly how she felt.

"There was something exciting about opening the envelope, and then reading the letter from him that told me about the person I had just met. I just missed him so much, that reading these letters was like hearing his voice again. In the beginning, when I realized what the envelopes were, I was always excited to open the next one. It meant that he wasn't gone yet; that I still had something to look forward to and hold on to. As I neared the end, though, it became harder. Now I have one left. After that, he won't impact my life anymore. It'll all be memories. But if I make him proud by doing well in the league, I can prove that I'll be okay without him. That what he taught me rubbed off."

"You're dad isn't going to be gone from your life because the letters end," Misty assured her. "Nor will his impact on your future cease to exist." She'd told herself the same thing countless times after he died, yet, sometimes she still didn't believe it herself. "Whether you realize it or not, you're dad will continue to have an impact on your future in both noticeable and subtle ways."

"How?"

"Well, I like to think that when people leave our lives, weather it be because of death or other reasons, a part of them always stays with you. These parts live in your heart because, over time, your heart collects bits and pieces of those you love so you never forget them. Some people may leave bigger marks than others, but it all lives together in your heart" While she tried to think of what to say next, Misty petted Pikachu's head. At her soft and gentle touch, Pikachu cooed in happiness. "I like to think what they leave behind is represented by marks or tattoos in your heart. They're nearly impossible to remove."

"Uh…" Charlie was trying really hard to understand what Misty was telling her, but it was still a bit confusing.

"Take you dad for example. When he vanished he basically left his friend's lives, but while he was around them, his heart collected pieces of them. I'll give you a really good example. You know how your dad always said 'No need to worry' to you?" Cracking a tiny smile, Charlie nodded her head. "Well, he actually got that phrase from Dawn. It was her signature phrase that she would always say when things seemed to go haywire. Even though your dad wasn't seeing Dawn every day, her catch phrase was what his heart collected so that he'd never forget her. That was her tattoo or little mark."

"I think I get it," Charlie softly replied.

"Good," Misty smiled back at her. "Just always remember that no matter what, you're dad's always going to be a part of you and that you're never going to forget him." While she was pretty sure Charlie understood what she was trying to say, Misty felt it necessary to remind her of just how well she had done on her own. "And as far as letting him down, I know you won't. You're a great trainer, Charlie. Just look at how far you've come since you started. Your dad may have written you letters telling you where to go, but you found everyone on your own. You solved his riddles without his help, and you fought those gym battles on your own. Your dad knows that too, because I bet you he's watching over you every day, thinking about how proud he is of you."

"Thanks," Charlie sheepishly replied. Nobody had ever really complimented her to such a degree before

"No problem."

An uneasy silence fell between them, neither knowing what to say next. Suddenly, though, Charlie turned the tables on Misty. "Did he leave any marks on you?"

"What?" Misty asked, jerking her head up.

"My dad. What did your heart collect about him?"

Misty didn't know what to tell Charlie. Had Ash left a mark on her life, too? Glancing over at Charlie, Misty stared at her in a way that she hoped that just by looking at Charlie, an answer would suddenly pop into her head. All it seemed to do was the opposite of what she had intended. It just made her miss him more. It wasn't fair that when she looked at Charlie she saw him mixed with some other girl she'd met only a month ago. It wasn't fair that she was sitting here trying to comfort his daughter because he wasn't here to support her like he'd promised. It wasn't fair that he'd told her he loved her, but she'd never get to experience that love the way she'd always hoped. It wasn't fair that she had let him affect her life in ways she'd never let anyone else before him.

"Misty?" While Charlie really wanted to know the answer to her question, she didn't want to anger Misty and become the victim of her notorious temper.

Blowing her fiery, red bangs out of her face, Misty finally concluded that she was probably better off coming out with the truth. Besides, it wasn't exactly a big secret anymore. Everyone knew how she had felt toward the Pokemon Master Wanabee, so why keep it from his daughter?

"Love: that's the mark your dad left on me. I fell in love with him, Charlie. And to this day, I love him more than anything in the world."

In a weird way she didn't understand, Charlie wasn't very surprised by this answer. It had been rather obvious that her dad and Misty had always been very close, so the idea of one of them falling in love with the other didn't sound so crazy. In fact, it felt natural, almost like it should be expected. It also answered one of the pressing questions she had throughout her journey: Why she had been mistaken for Misty's daughter. It wasn't because she looked like Misty; it was because of feelings Misty had for Ash.

She couldn't help but feel bad for Misty, though. She may have fallen in love with Ash, but he had gone and gotten together with another girl and had a kid with them. While Charlie didn't know a lot about love and relationships, even she could realize that things didn't end the way Misty would have hoped, and that there still remained a broken heart in the Cerulean gym leader. Still, Charlie's condition was different. Her dad and mom hadn't gotten together because they loved each other; it had been an accident. Her dad could have loved Misty back. And there was one way Charlie would find that out.

"Did he love you back?" Charlie knew this question could be treading into dangerous territory, but she really wanted to know the answer.

For a brief second, Pikachu and Misty made eye contact. "Yes."

"Oh…I probably only make it worse."

To Charlie's surprise, Misty shook her head. "I needed you, Charlie. We all needed you, and your dad knew that. You're what's getting us through every day. Even years after his death it was still hard for all of us. But when we met you, we got ourselves back. Ms. Ketchum got someone to fuss over and buy things for, and Gary got a new victim to tease and joke about Ash with. You even gave Team Rocket a second chance. And let me tell you, they really love you."

"I know they do," Charlie replied, a tiny smile forming on her lips.

"Well, I should probably head back. Everyone else will be wondering where I am and you'll be up soon," Misty announced. Setting Pikachu in the empty space next to her, Misty stood up and gave a heavy sigh. Following her lead, Charlie stood up so that she could properly say goodbye to Misty. "Good luck, Charlie. And remember, no matter what happens, I know your dad will be proud of you. We all are. And if you ever find yourself missing him or needing him, you can always find him here." At this, Misty leaned forward and pointed to the spot where Charlie's heart rested. After that, she said goodbye to Pikachu and turned around to leave.

As Charlie watched her go, it was then that Charlie realized that Misty might know the answer to whom the last envelope belonged to. "Misty, wait!" Charlie yelled as she rushed over to Misty. Having stopped at the sound of her name, Misty turned around. Handing over the note card and the envelope, Charlie explained, "I don't know if you can help me, but I can't figure out who this last person is. I've thought about it over and over, but I can't think of anyone. If I could figure out who the leader of Team Twerp is, maybe I could ask them…"

As Misty glanced over the note card, she cracked a smile. She of course knew whom Ash wanted Charlie to find, but she felt it would be cheating if she straight out told his daughter the answer. Plus, how could she pass up a perfect opportunity to create her own riddle in Ash's scavenger hunt? After all, it was her job to knock his ego down a few pegs. If she could lead his daughter to the right answer, it would ensure he wasn't as great of a riddle writer as he might have thought he was.

"I can't tell you who each person is specifically, but I can tell you that until recently, the members of Team Twerp had disbanded after their leader passed away. Taking their place, the leader's daughter, Little Twerp, searched for the members and finally brought the team back together."

While Misty knew it was a fairly easy riddle if you thought about it, she'd still gotten to make one. Without saying another word, Misty handed back the envelope and note card to Charlie and finally left.

As she stood there processing what Misty had told her, it finally dawned on Charlie who the envelope was for. The group known as Team Twerp had been her dad's friends, and he had been their leader. When he died, they no longer saw much of each other, but she had traveled all over Kanto searching for them. And when she-Little Twerp as the clue had called her-had found each member, they had come together at Christmas and right now. She was the last person, the final piece to the puzzle. But what was waiting in the letter for her? What did her dad have to say that he hadn't already told her in the other letters? She had to find out.

Even though it was the last envelope, Charlie opened it with an urgency she hadn't felt with the other envelopes. She needed this letter and whatever words her dad had written. From her shoulder, Pikachu watched with peaked interest as Charlie opened up the final letter.

_Charlie, _

_With this letter now opened and the final person uncovered, my letters have reached their end and my scavenger hunt has reached its conclusion. Starting in my hometown and where I started my journey, you followed in my footsteps and saw the places I had once visited, and, with the exception of Gary and your grandmother, you found my friends in the exact order I first met them long ago. Through each person you met, you uncovered some things about me you never knew. All in all, you followed the map I gave you and went on not only a journey of your own, but also a journey of my past. But my past would not be complete if I left out the most important person of all-the connecting link between my past and my future. You. _

_ As I sit here writing this letter, it pains me to think that this is the last chance I'll ever get to see you. It's odd for me to imagine that there was even a chance that we may have never met. We've been through so much together, and not once do I regret the sacrifices I made to be with you. Throughout life, I've heard countless time that things don't always go the way we planned, and that we have to expect the unexpected. I had always thought that I was ready for anything life threw at me-I'd saved the world, fought off legendary Pokemon, cheated death, and changed traveling companions numerous time. I can now say with confidence, though, that I wasn't ready for the biggest surprise life would hand me. I'd always thought that I would one day become a great Pokemon Master like I had always dreamed. I thought very little about settling down and having a family-I'd just assumed I'd one day get around to that. Life had a different plan, though. When I got the phone call that day at the Pokemon Center-and I'm not exaggerating when I say this-my entire life changed. I, the one my friends used to joke would never grow up, was a father. I hope that you'll never have to go through what I did, because, and I'll be honest with you, Charlie, I was terrified and I wished more than anything I could take it back. It wasn't because I disliked you; it was because I felt helpless. I could choose to pretend you never existed and live with the guilt of knowing I turned away my own daughter, or I could chose to be there for you and potentially lose everything I worked for up until that point. You and I both know what I chose that day, and I'm so glad I did. _

_It's because of you that I changed for the better. I was never the mature type, and, with you as my prime example, I didn't always think before I acted. With you around, though, I had to make responsible decisions because not only would they impact my life, but yours, too. We could still have fun together, and I loved teaching you about Pokemon, but in the end, I had to be the adult example you looked up to. And in a weird way I never thought would happen, I enjoyed every minute of it. I'd never been someone that people looked to for help in getting through life, so to have you looking to me for every piece of advice and for every scraped knee, made me feel important. To you, I wasn't known for just Pokemon, but I was actually known for other things that I never imagined I'd be known for-such as making some of the best PB&J sandwiches. That's why before I wrote this letter, I worried that with me gone, you would be lost-or maybe, I was actually the one lost without you. _

_I worried about who would take care of you for me. Who was going to support you and tell you never to give up? Who would be there for you when you needed someone to talk to? Who would help you when you got yourself into a mess? Who would cook you PB&J everyday? Then I realized that I was overreacting, and that I was underestimating you. After I realized that, every bit of me was confident that you would be okay without me. I knew that once you met them, my friends would take care of you, and that you'd find a new home where you would have loving parents. More importantly, though, I knew you'd be okay because you have something that I've found many people don't have. You have the ability to see the good in even the darkest of situations. Even though you may be having a bad day, you still manage to notice that sky is blue. I remember one time shortly after your mom left, where I was sitting at the kitchen table and you asked me why I was sad. I told you that I missed your mom. This is when you told me that there was no need to worry because you were still here to play with. And it was true. No matter what happened, I'd always have you. We weren't a typical family you and I, but it doesn't matter what your family is made up of. Family isn't based on if you have all the pieces or if you have different ones throughout your life; it's the feeling of being loved a family provides that matters. I know that there will be times when you need me, or you just wish I were there, but just remember this: no matter what, I'll always be in your heart, and I'll always be watching over you._

_In the future, I know you'll continue to do amazing things that could only make me proud to be your dad. Maybe even one day you'll meet your mom, or you'll run into people who knew me. You may even get to meet the very people who are helping you escape out of here. I don't know what they will do with you once they get you out of here, but if you ever meet them, make sure to thank them for their help. They may be members of Team Rocket, but they have a pretty big heart. We had our time together, and no matter how many times I may tell you, I can't express to you how thankful I am I got that time with you. You were like my mini twin, Charlie; we were a team. Team Ketchum, and don't you ever forget it. If there's one thing I've always tried to follow, it's believing in myself. Heck, I told everyone I met that my name was Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town, and that I would become a Pokemon Master one day. Believe in your dreams, believe in yourself, and be proud of who you are, because there is so much to love about you. Throughout life people will try to damage your confidence and your pride, but always remember that, in the end, it's you who has control over if they are successful. _

_Your journey through Kanto is over, but your Pokemon journey has only begun. There are other journeys out there waiting for you, so don't be afraid to seize the opportunities that are presented to you. I know someday we will meet again, but until then, I love you, Charlie, and no matter the outcome of this league, I'm so proud of you. _

_Love, _

_Your Father. _

As Charlie closed the letter, she realized what she'd known all along and what others had been trying to tell her: She'd come a long way without her dad, and she'd continue to be okay without him. Win or lose, she should be proud of herself and all the hard work she put into preparing for this league. She didn't have to prove to anyone that she was worthy of her last name; everyone just wanted to see her do her best and have fun. If anything, people weren't expecting much from her, so she could blow them away if she wanted to.

Hearing the announcer calling her name, Charlie tucked the letter into her pocket and hopped off the bench. As Pikachu jumped onto her shoulder, she took a second to pat him on the head and thank him for all that he had done for her. With Pikachu securely on her shoulder, Charlie headed down the hallway that would lead her to the stadium. As Charlie neared the doorway, she could see the bright light from outside, and she could hear the roar of the crowd as their excitement for the upcoming match grew. Just before she walked out into the stadium, Charlie placed her dad's old baseball cap on her head, adjusting it just so._ This one's for you, Dad._ As she walked out, the roar of the crowd made her nerves practically disappear. Very few people in the crowd actually knew who she was, and yet they seemed to all be cheering for her. There was a program that listed the matches, but most people didn't find out who was battling until the actual match.

Taking her place in the green square, the platform began to rise as Charlie glanced around the crowd, trying to find her family and friends. There weren't a whole lot of people because this wasn't the final match, but there were enough people that she really had to look to find her supporters. The first of which she found seated in the VIP box with other official looking people.

From the VIP box near the top of the stadium, Ruby watched her daughter as she stood on the green platform. For a brief moment as Charlotte's scanned the crowd, the two of them seemed to make eye contact. Giving her daughter a warm smile, Ruby was filled with happiness when Charlotte waved to her, a big smile on her face. To the people sitting around Ruby, it may have seemed odd that a trainer was waving at a member of the Elite Four, but Ruby didn't mention it. For now, the connection behind the wave was Charlotte and her's secret. A secret that would allow Ruby to watch her daughter in peace.

Once Charlie's eyes resumed scanning the crowd, she finally spotted the rest of her supporters to her right, somewhere in the middle of the stands. From their spot, they all waved at her and shouted words of good luck in her direction.

At the announcer's request, the crowd finally quieted down enough so one could hear the names of the trainers being announced. As she had found out earlier, her opponent was a young trainer by the name of Robert from Saffron City. To Charlie, he seemed to have a large crowd following, based on the amount of signs in the crowd that displayed his name. When her name was finally announced, though, it caused a reaction not even Charlie could predict.

"In today's match, the red trainer Robert Sabe will be facing off against the green trainer, Charlotte Ketchum!"

Even though the people in the crowd hadn't known Charlie previously to now, they weren't stupid. The crowd seemed to die down almost instantly as sounds of whispering echoed through the stadium. Charlie remained standing, as the hush through the crowd only seemed to grow with each passing second. Even the trainer she was facing looked as if he didn't believe it either. As Charlie observed the shocked and confused faces of the crowd around her, it was then that she remembered an important detail. Her dad had become pretty well known before he disappeared. And since everyone had known about his sudden disappearance, it only made sense that they were shocked to discover a girl with his exact last name ten years later. While she'd known that this might happen, she hadn't expected it on such a scale.

Despite the crowd's sudden silence, the announcer carried on, allowing the judge to explain the rules. As she waited for the judge to signal the start of the battle, Charlie watched as a cloud moved by, allowing a beam of sunshine to warm her face. It may have been the excitement of it all, but she could have sworn the beam of sunshine was a sign from her dad that, just like he said, he was up there somewhere watching over her.

"You ready, Pikachu?" Charlie asked the Pokemon sitting beside her. In response, Pikachu curled his paws inward as he let off little sparks of electricity. Throwing a final smile in Pikachu's direction, Charlie flipped her hat around in an Ash-like fashion. Gripping a Pokeball in her hand, she stared down her opponent without the slightest bit of fear. _Watch me win, Dad._ "Let's do this!"

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading! <strong>


	20. Everything Changes

_I'm sad to say this is the last chapter, but I still hope you can enjoy it.  
><em>

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><p><em>You take a chance, you roll the dice<br>You risk it all, it's just a part of life  
>You hold on tight to what you know<br>You can't hold back, you got to let it go  
>Every little step that you embrace<br>One road ends, another begins and takes you to a better place_

This was it. She'd made it this far in the league, a single match standing in her way of victory. If she won this, it was on to the Elite Four. And after the week she'd had, she couldn't be more thankful that she was almost done.

As she waited on her own platform, Charlie glued her eyes to the other side, anticipating who might enter from the other side. When she had checked the board earlier that day, she had been shocked when she discovered who her opponent was. The face that had started back at her had been none other than the same boy she had run into earlier in the week. And even then, as she stared at the picture with shock, her mind seemed to play tricks on her as she swore it was her dad she was staring at. She would only find out later from Misty and Brock, in more shocking news, that the boy she was about to battle had been a friend of her dad's. His name was Ritchie, and when he had faced her dad in the Pokemon League many years ago, he had come out victorious. While she knew her dad wasn't unbeatable, it was still intimidating to face someone who had beaten him.

When Ritchie appeared at the other end of the field, she felt a twinge of pain in her heart. She knew that this wasn't her dad, but her brain wanted to believe that this really was her dad disguised as someone else. That what she had seen as a kid was just something her mind had made up; that he hadn't actually died. He had survived and went into hiding, leaving the letters for her. And now, at the Pokemon League, he would reveal himself to her. It was crazy she knew, but she wanted so badly to believe it.

As Ritchie and her made eye contact, he smiled at her for a brief second. Just like everyone else in the world, he knew exactly who she was, but Charlie had a feeling that this information held more meaning to him than the rest of the world. If he had been a friend of her dad's, then facing off against her was probably the closest Ritchie would get to a battle against her dad. It was as if, without saying anything, they both knew there was this fine print that said this was the reunion match against her dad Ritchie had been looking forward to. If Charlie beat him then it would be like she won for her dad.

Despite the announcer's protocol, Charlie needed no introduction. Thanks to the reporters and paparazzi that had been investigating her all week, the whole world knew who she was. In the last week, her whole identity seemed to change with mere discovery of important facts. When she had entered the league, she was Charlie West, daughter of Daniel and Christina West-A.K.A Jessie and James.

After her first match, though, she had become Charlotte Ketchum, daughter of Ash Ketchum, a promising trainer who had mysteriously gone missing ten years ago. In an attempt to hide the letters her dad had created, when her dad's friends were asked if they knew about her, they would say they found out from Gary who had made an accidental discovery because he lives in the same town as her. Next, an even bigger shock rocket the world when everyone found out that her dad was no longer alive. When asked as to how he had passed away, she had followed her parents' request and told the world the same lie Jessie and James had told for years.

Two days later, through sources nobody could figure out, the seemingly endless debate over who her biological mother was finally came to an end. Before then numerous people had speculated that it was one of her dad's friends, providing their own evidence to back up their claim. Of course, none of them had been right, but that didn't stop people from bothering May, Dawn and Misty, and even Iris every day. When people found out that her mom was Ruby, things seemed to only get worse. After that her identity had changed once again. She was Charlotte Elizabeth Ketchum, daughter of Ash Ketchum and Ruby Hamilton, the newest member of the Elite Four. With this change in identity, Charlie knew then and there that things could never be the same. She'd never have the normal life she had before without people prying into her private life, and the world's expectations from her only spiked.

To the best of her ability, she tried to ignore the reporters and focus on her training, but it was especially difficult with everyone wanting information from her. On top of that, she had to constantly pretend to be someone she wasn't. Or rather, pretend to have a relationship with someone she didn't. Instead, she put up a front for the world that she had a normal mother-daughter relationship with Ruby. To the world it appeared as if her mom had always been there and that she never left a three-year old Charlie to be raised by her dad. As much as she hated acting like her mom and her had this relationship she felt she only shared with Christina, she could never reveal to the world the truth. She knew her mom regretted her decision every day, wishing she had returned. The world finding out would only crush her mom, something Charlie saw as hurting the situation she was in.

Now, she only had Ritchie and the Elite Four standing in her way. After that she could finally go home and travel somewhere else. If she was traveling, she could avoid the media a lot easier-at least until the next tournament she entered. Staying here with everything that been going on was taking its toll on her each day. Although she ignored them to the best of her ability, if it hadn't been for her dad's friends-Misty in particular, who seemed to enjoy yelling at the reporters-the reporters might have never backed off as much as they had. She knew that for many of them it was their job to pester her about her life and try to get her to reveal deep, dark secrets. Still, she didn't understand why they couldn't just leave her alone. She was already worn out from training and the stress the whole ordeal was putting on her. Answering the paparazzi's questions and running away from them only became another obstacle she had to overcome if she wanted any rest.

For what felt like the hundredth time, the reff listed of the rules of the battle. If she won this match, she'd be thrilled beyond belief, but if she lost, she promised herself she wouldn't cry about it. She'd gotten this far in her first league, something that was pretty good for a new trainer. If she lost here, that didn't mean she was a failure. She could only improve from here on out.

OOOO

"Gloom is no longer able to battle. The victory goes to the red trainer!" the announcer's voice boomed over the loud speakers.

From the stands, Grayson watched as his friend recalled her battered Pokemon from the field. Although he couldn't see her well, it was hard to miss the pain that was evident on her face. He watched as she walked over to where the other trainer was standing. After congratulating the winning trainer on his victory, Charlie shook hands with him and then headed out of the stadium. Just before she hit the tunnel into the waiting room, Grayson saw her pick up speed.

As Charlie quickly walked out of the stadium, she used all her strength to block the tears that were threatening to fall from her eyes. Pushing herself to go faster, Charlie brushed past the people in the streets, not caring if she was being rude. She didn't know why, but every fiber of her body was telling her to get out of there. To go somewhere safe where nobody could find her; where the reporters couldn't track her down and bother her with questions she didn't know the answers to. She wasn't even upset about losing, but she wanted to go somewhere and scream. She just wanted the stress of the entire week to go away. She wanted her life back.

Upon reaching a lake buried within the forest, she finally let loose the tears that she had been holding back. What she didn't expect, though, was for them to fall at the rate they did. Within seconds, her whole body was shaking as she stood there and sobbed. Her heart rate sped up to the speed of a Rapidash, and her body suddenly began to feel clammy and overheated. Her breath was coming out in short spurts, causing her head to start pounding as she began to feel light headed. Next, her legs felt heavy as her vision began to go in and out, the scenery in front of her beginning to sway back and forth. Before she knew it, she was falling to the ground. The last thing she felt before she blacked out was the sudden pain as her head hit a nearby rock.

OOOO

When Charlie opened her eyes, she was met with bright lights and a minor pounding in her head. She was pretty sure she was moving her arms and legs, but she was still slightly drowsy from just waking up. After letting her eyes focus on something other that the bright lights above her, they finally started to adjust to her surroundings, and things started to become much clearer. Taking in her surroundings, she quickly picked up on the fact she was no longer in the woods. Shooting up, she frantically began to look around, trying to figure out where she had ended up.

_Where am I?_ she wondered as her eyes darted around the room, taking in the various objects around her. "Pikachu?"

Although she didn't hear any response from the little Pokemon, her body had calmed down enough to alert her to the odd sensation coming from her right hand. In a periodic motion, her fingers experienced a warm breeze that seemed to be following a particular rhythm. When she wiggled her fingers, one of them grazed against an unknown object. Glancing over, Charlie narrowed her eyes in confusion when she identified the source of the warm breeze. On the edge of the bed next to her Grayson was napping, his breath hitting Charlie's fingers as he breathed in and out.

As much as she didn't want to wake him up, she really wanted to know what had happened. And since he was the only person around to ask that to, she was left with no choice but to wake him up. Resting her hands on his shoulder, Charlie gently shook him until she felt him start to wake up.

Lifting up his head, Grayson rubbed the remnants of sleep out of his eyes as he let out a big yawn. Stretching his arms to try and relieve the pain in his body from sleeping in a funny position, he let his eyes adjust to his surroundings. When they had finally adjusted to the area around him, he found himself starting directly at Charlie.

"You're awake!" he beamed back at her. Any sign of concern that had vanished from his face. With a teasing grin he added, "It's about time you woke up, Sleepy Head. I was worried I'd have to get Pikachu to zap you awake."

As he expected, Charlie's blank expression morphed into one of annoyance. "Pikachu would never listen to you," she argued, despite the fact that Pikachu had grown pretty fond of Grayson. "Plus, he would never do something like that to me."

"Whatever," Grayson shrugged. "I'm just glad you're finally awake. You had us all worried."

"What happened?" Charlie asked, tilting her head in confusion. "The last thing I remember is being at the river."

"You passed out from exhaustion and hit your head on rock," Grayson explained, reciting the words he had heard the doctor repeat to the friends and family who had inquired about Charlie's condition. "You suffered a minor concussion and you got a small cut on your head that the doctor sewed up. Other than that, you've been asleep for a while now."

Sure enough, just like Grayson had told her, when Charlie rested her head against her forehead, she felt the fabric of the bandage that had been wrapped around her head. Since the cut was covered, she couldn't see how bad she had cut herself or what kind of scar it might leave. Sighing at the thought of yet another scar on her body, she let her hand fall back to her lap.

"I didn't think I was that worn out," she admitted. While the stress of the whole ordeal about the world finding out about her had taken its toll on her, she never thought it was as bad as it must have been. Yeah, she had felt slightly fatigued at times, and she often missed meals because she was training, but she thought she could handle it. She'd experienced times like this before, and she'd gotten through them. Apparently, though, unlike those other times, this was more serious than she thought. "But when I went to the river and I started crying, I lost complete control. The tears and the shaking wouldn't stop."

"Were you upset about losing?" Grayson asked in the most sincere way he could. He didn't want Charlie to think he thought she was weak for crying about losing. "Because it's not the end of the world, you know? There'll be other tournaments."

To his surprise, she let out a small giggle. "I know that," she replied. "Don't get me wrong, I was bummed about losing, but I'm not devastated." Grayson couldn't help but feel relieved and concerned about her statement. He was glad to know losing hadn't caused her to be upset, but that meant there was something more. And Grayson had a pretty good idea of what it might be-or at least what it might revolve around. "But my dad…I…" She paused a second to gather her words. "I just wish he would have been there to see me. That's all."

"I think everyone does."

"I always knew in the back of my mind that he wasn't going to magically appear once I finished the scavenger hunt. And that guy, Ritchie, looked just like my dad, so naturally, I started thinking that maybe this was actually my dad in disguise. But when I lost, I think it finally hit me. After the match, I was waiting for him to reveal himself as my dad, but it never happened. When I reached the river, that's when I finally understood and it finally hit me. My mind had been playing tricks on me the whole time. My dad was never there. People weren't talking about him because he was around; it was because he was gone. I had truly reached the end. There's nothing else waiting for me."

Grayson let his shoulders fall as he frowned back at Charlie. While he may have known what was bothering her, he had no idea how to help her. He was failing at the one thing he had always prided himself in being able to do. Although he hadn't lost a family member like she had, he had been through similar situations before. When he was in these situations, there was always one thing that seemed to help him get through them: hope. Hope for change; hope for something better; something to look forward to. So, while he may have not been able to help her the way he had hoped, he could try to give her some hope.

"That's not true. There are tons of things waiting for you, Charlie. You just have to find them. Maybe, one day, you'll even find that one thing that'll be able to fix things." He watched as she turned her head so she was looking at him again. "Besides, once you get out of this stupid hospital and back to your old self, you still have tons of regions you have to travel through. There'll be tons of things to look forward to! And with how prone you are to crazy stuff happening to you, it's guaranteed to be an exciting adventure."

"You don't say," Charlie replied rather sarcastically, a bead of sweat formed on the side of her face. Leave it to Grayson to view the crazy things that happened to her, as an adventure deemed exciting. In fact, exciting is the last word she would use to describe her journey. If anything, her genetics were to blame for the "excitement" in her journey.

Understanding Charlie's sarcasm, Grayson couldn't help but laugh. "Heh…so maybe not that kind of exciting…" Pausing, he waited for a reaction from Charlie before continuing on. "Anyways, no matter the journey, you won't have to worry about being alone because you'll always be stuck with me!"

Grayson saw Charlie crack a smile, her words causing his cheeks to redden in embarrassment. "Now that sounds exciting. Lucky me."

OOOO

"So after refusing to talk to me, you decide to apologize by kidnapping me and taking me to who knows where?"

"You'll thank me," Gary replied, confidence in his voice. "Just stop freaking out."

"I'm not freaking out," she argued. "I'm just confused by your intentions."

Rolling his eyes, Gary continued on as he led a blindfolded Ruby through the dirt roads of the forest. After Charlie had been discharged from the hospital, as she had done several times with Ash, Ms. Ketchum had thrown a huge party for Charlie. A party that was currently going on at Ms. Ketchum's home, and that Gary had pulled Ruby away from. As he led her through the forest that surrounded Pallet Town, he couldn't help but enjoy the feeling of her hand in his. It was soft against his slightly calloused hand.

When he reached their intended destination, he stopped a few feet from a giant oak tree. "We're here," he announced as he let go of her hand. Stepping behind her, he gently untied the blindfold and pulled it off. "You can look now."

When Ruby opened her eyes, her breath caught in her throat. Spotting the familiar oak tree, her eyes traveled up the trunk and to the aged tree house that sat within its branches. Stepping a few feet, Ruby paused once again to stare, as if what she saw was just an illusion. It'd been years since she'd seen this place, but within it's aged walls, it held some of her most treasured memories. Many of which involved a certain raven-haired trainer.

Brushing past Ruby, Gary walked over to the foot of the tree and grabbed the planks of the ladders attached to the tree. Pushing off the ground, he started climbing up the tree. After getting half way up, he paused to turn around and glance down at Ruby.

"You coming?" he asked her.

"Huh?" she replied, oblivious to the fact he had even said anything. "Oh yeah!"

Running over to the foot of the tree, she followed Gary up the ladder and through the entrance of the tree house. Resting her hands on the floor of the tree house, she slowly pushed herself up and into the tree house. As she got her first glimpse of the inside, she found herself losing her voice one again. Everything about the tree house looked exactly like she remembered it. It was as if they had stopped whatever they were doing and just left everything as it had been.

"What do you think?" Gary asked as her surveyed the interior of the tree house. "Nothing's changed, huh? Well, except for us that is."

Ruby just nodded her head. She couldn't stop staring at everything in the tree house, trying to take it all in. On one of the walls, there were three pictures nailed to the wall, signs of age and wear evident in their faded colors. As she walked over to get a better glimpse at the pictures, she found herself giggling at the ridiculous looking kids within the pictures.

"When was the last time we were even here anyway?" Gary asked.

"The night before we all left on our journeys," Ruby informed him. "We sat up here and stuffed our faces with junk food until our parents made us all go home."

"Oh yeah."

Turning back to Gary, Ruby found herself laughing. "Ash was so stressed out about which Pokemon he would pick. I think he told us he had finally decided which one at least fifty times."

"Ha ha. I remember that," Gary laughed. "Gramps said when he came to the lab that day, he wanted Squirtle. Too bad I got to him first."

"You would," Ruby replied, rolling her eyes. "Nonetheless, I think he ended up being pretty happy with Pikachu. I swear those two would do anything for each other. Heck, Ash used to even put Pikachu in charge of watching Charlotte while he was cleaning the house. I told him multiple times to just put Charlotte in her crib when he was cleaning, but he'd just tell me that that she hated being cooped up in her crib. He could just feel it."

"As much as I hate to admit this, he was probably right," Gary told her. "Her parents are both very restless people who hate being cooped up in once place for too long."

Ruby could only nod in agreement. "I suppose you're right," she sighed. "Regardless, it was still dangerous! Plus, it wasn't like we didn't have one of those play things he could sit her in. He just never used it."

Gary just laughed. "Charlie's already told me some stories, but I'm curious about your opinion…" Giving him a look of confusion, Ruby waited for Gary to continue speaking. "What was it like raising a kid with Ash?"

As much as Gary disliked talking about Ruby and Ash's relationship, he couldn't keep his curiosity from getting the better of him. Ruby and Ash had known each other since they were kids, so they knew each everything about each other. But going from being friends with him to being forced to raise a child with him, would naturally come with some interesting stories. And since he couldn't ask Ash, Ruby was his best bet.

"Um, it was…" Ruby's face shifted as she racked her brain for the right word to describe this unique experience, "…interesting." Confident that this was the word she wanted to use, Ruby proceeded. "He always had good intentions, and he always tried to do what he thought was best for Charlotte, but it was hard to deny that he was clueless about raising kids. Plus, he was trying to raise a girl, which I imagine was hard for him."

"Naturally."

"If I ever had to go out of town for a contest, I would say lots of prayers that they would be in one piece when I came back. Other than that, things were as normal as we could make them. Sometimes we argued over different things, such as how to raise Charlotte, but for the most part things weren't bad. It was really rocky with everyone having to adjust to the new life. The best part of it, though, was getting to talk to Ash," Ruby reported, a small smile on her face. "He told me all about the adventures he had and all the friends he had met along the way. He was still the Ash I remember as a kid, but a part of him had changed since we last met."

"Did you know he never told anyone about Charlie?" Gary asked.

Ruby nodded. "It became a rather sensitive topic with him. After he told me he had left his friends in the middle of the night, I tried to get him to call them and explain what happened-or at least tell Ms. Ketchum-but he never would. I debated telling Ms. Ketchum myself, but I was afraid if I said something, he would get mad and leave. Charlotte had grown attached to Ash, so I couldn't risk that," Ruby explained. "There was one time, though, where I thought one of his friends would find out. The Indigo Plateau was holding a gym leader conference, and the gym leader wanted Ash to go with him since Ash had been helping him take care of the gym. I told Ash that he should go, but for some reason he refused to go and told the gym leader that he was busy. I realize now that the reason he didn't go was because he knew Misty and Brock would probably be there."

"They weren't the only people wondering where he was," Gary told her. "No offense, but wouldn't people in Viridian have noticed that Ash was the same guy who magically disappeared from that tournament? How did he get by without anyone noticing?"

"He went around telling everyone his name was Adam Hamilton and died his hair brown. It was a little extreme if you ask me… Anyways, after the hype of his disappearance died down, he started telling a few select people that his real name was Ash, but he still used Hamilton as his last name. According to Charlotte, though, after I left he opened the training school as Adam Hamilton, but her friend's parents-such as Ms. Stewart, Grayson's mom-knew who he actually was."

"I always wondered how nobody noticed him," Gary commented. "He just hid himself really well."

"Mmhmm," Ruby nodded. "Well, while it's great to be back here and traveling down memory lane, I have to ask. Why did you bring me here?"

Having been distracted by the conversation him and Ruby were having, he had almost forgotten the purpose of bringing her up in here in the first place.

"To give you this," Gary responded as he stuck his hand in his pocket and pulled out an envelope. "I figured, what better place to read it then the place you two shared everything together?"

As she took the envelope, her face paled as she recognized the handwriting on the front. She just never expected to receive one. Back in January, due to the excitement of everything that had happened, Ms. Ketchum had forgotten to give Ruby her envelope from Ash. Instead, knowing he would probably see her before she did, Ms. Ketchum had given it to Gary. Ever since then, he had been waiting for a good time to give it to her.

"What do you mean?" she finally managed to ask.

"We both know you guys used this place more than I ever did. This was the Ash and Ruby tree house-I just came and visited occasionally."

Ruby couldn't deny what Gary had said. She had spent more time in this tree house with Ash than she ever had with Ash and Gary. This was the place they would always meet when she would call Ash needing to talk about her latest problem. They'd meet here and he would sit and listen while she talked and talked. When she wasn't sharing her problems and exchanging secrets with Ash, they would just hung out there.

"If you want, I'll wait below until you're done reading," Gary offered.

Instead of answering him, Ruby sat herself in a corner of the room and just started at the envelope. Taking this as a cue she probably wanted to be by alone for a bit, Gary climbed down the ladder where he would wait until she was done reading the letter.

There was no doubt in Ruby's mind that the letter was for her. It still scared her, though. Unlike everyone else, Ruby had known where Ash was all these years. He didn't have to explain to her why he had left or whom Charlotte was. She already knew all that. Whatever he had to say to her would likely revolve around what she had done; how she had left them when they needed her. With that in mind, she could only imagine all the things he would have wanted to say to her but never could. She'd never known how he felt about it all, but she was pretty confident that this letter would tell her everything she wanted to know. There was only one way to find out. Cracking open the envelope with her thumb, Ruby pulled back the flap and pulled out the letter.

_Ruby, _

_As I write this letter, I can only imagine where you are in the world right now and where and when you might finally read this. So much has happened since you left, and I wish more than anything that you were here right now. Unlike in the letters I wrote to my friends and family, I don't have to explain to you where I was or who Charlie was. Instead, I owe you an explanation for something else-an apology for what happened between us. I know you probably blamed yourself, but as I look back on the events that happened, I realize now that I was the one who is to blame. I messed things up when they were just fine. _

_I remember telling you the very first day that things were going to be okay, but there were times when I found myself wondering if this was even going to work out. By the end of that first year, though, I was confident that things were going to work. We worked well together, and we had a daughter who was happy. That's why I thought the next best thing was to become a real family. While I told you that I was doing this because I felt it was the right thing to do for us, I realize now that wasn't the actual reason. As a kid, I always dreamed about having a real family with a mom and a dad who were happily married. I didn't want Charlie to grow up wishing for this, so I figured the only way to prevent that from happening was for us to get married. In a twist of events, you said no, and the next thing I knew you were walking out the door forever. _

_The days following your departure were hell, and I blamed myself everyday for the reason you left. I got too obsessed with my own childhood dreams and hurt you in the process. I remember you telling me that you knew I didn't love you. So you know, I did love you, Ruby, but it was a different kind of love. It just wasn't the kind you wanted. I tried to act like a couple with you because I thought that, eventually, I would fall in love with you. That didn't happen, though. You saw right through me, and, like always, you could sense what was going to happen before I did. I understand why you left, and that night you offered to give me my life back and to change things before they got complicated. Unlike me, you were thinking only of Charlie and what was best for her. I only made it harder for you and fought you because letting you and Charlie leave would be giving up on my dream of a real family. And because of my decisions, both you and Charlie suffered. _

_I wish Charlie hadn't had to live the life I had as a kid, but because of my actions she had to. I felt like a failure as a parent. Her mom was gone because her dad had screwed up, things were falling apart, and I couldn't stop them-you weren't there to help me. Everyday I hoped that you would change your mind and come back. If you had come back, I would have welcomed you back, no questions asked. What's even worse was that I knew where you were but I never called you. Right now, I regret that more than anything. Instead, I told Charlie that you were on a journey and that one day, you would come back. I hope that one day, you two will meet again so you can see just how amazing of a person she has become. I can never give you back the time with her that I took from you, but regardless of the time that has gone by, I know she still loves you Ruby. She never forgot you. _

_As for us, maybe we will be fortunate enough to meet again. I'm sorry things didn't work out between us the way you wanted. I toyed with your emotions, hoping that I could eventually convince myself of something that wasn't true. No matter what happened between us, though, you will always be my first friend and the one who gave me the greatest thing ever: Charlie. Because you faced your fears and told me about her, I got to spend time with my daughter that I'll cherish forever. Unfortunately, my time is up, and it's your turn. The past can hold you down, but please don't let it. Time heals all wounds. If you haven't found her already, go. You didn't lose her, Ruby. More importantly, enjoy your life and find that person who can make you happy; the one who will truly love you the way you deserve to be loved. You'll be okay, Rubes. I promise. But if you ever find yourself needing your childhood buddy, I'll always be there to help you out. _

_Love, Ash_

Closing the letter, Ruby couldn't help but smile through her tears. He didn't hate her for what had happened. She hadn't ruined their friendship because of her actions. And as she sat there, the one thing she had been waiting for occurred. That giant weight she had carried around on her shoulders had finally been lifted. In a sense she was free. Free from the guilt she had felt all those years. Free from the worry that she had ruined everything she had with Ash. Just like when they were kids, Ruby was sitting in the tree house as Ash helped her out. And just like always, she'd take what he said to heart.

Just as she was about to climb down the ladder, Ruby stopped to take some time to observe Gary without him knowing. Sitting on the edge of the tree house, she rested her head in her hands and just watched him. He had changed since they were kids, gaining both maturity and, dare she say it, compassion. He wasn't so unapproachable, nor was he known as a bully. Instead, he had done nothing but help her and give her advice when she asked for it. She would be lying if she said that she didn't feel something towards him. There was no denying he was pretty handsome with his blue eyes and brown hair. She knew it wasn't quite love, though, but it was something between that and friendship. It was the kind of feeling where she wouldn't mind living with Gary, and where she felt that she would always be safe with him. Plus, it was obvious he cared about Charlotte, and she knew Charlotte got along well with Gary. In addition, a part of her was pretty sure that Gary felt this way towards her. That he had just been waiting, or maybe, without realizing it, she had said something that stopped him from saying anything.

She knew she wouldn't know any of this unless she asked him, so she decided then and there she would ask him about it tonight when he drove her back to the Indigo Plateau. And if things worked out, maybe she could be happy after all. She'd could finally get that one thing she craved so badly from Ash: real love.

OOOO

Meanwhile, back at the party, Charlie was busy stuffing her face with all the yummy food Brock, Cilan and her grandmother had cooked for everyone, while Pikachu sat near her, keeping a watchful eye on her. After her incident at the Indigo League, he wasn't about to let her out of his sight. They had all her favorites-including a pyramid of Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches-and the buffet table seemed to magically refill itself before anyone noticed it was empty. If she was thrown this kind of party for how well she had done in her first league, she could only imagine what it might be like when she actually won.

"So where are you headed next?" May asked. She was seated across from Charlie, and just as Charlie had first met her in Celadon, a stack of empty bowls that had once contained noodles surrounded her. "You should come to Hoenn! You could come to Petalburg and meet my parents. They'd love to meet you and I'd love to show you around."

"You can go to Hoenn some other time," Dawn piped in, scooting her chair closer. "Sinnoh is really beautiful this time of year. We have this special festival that only happens every five years." Knowing her relationship with May was close enough that she could poke fun at the coordinator, she made sure to add, "I wouldn't want you to miss it because you were busy wasting your time in Hoenn."

"Just ignore them and go to Johto," Max interjected, rolling his eyes as his sister and her friend.

"Max! She doesn't know anybody in Johto," May yelled at her younger brother. "If she comes to Hoenn or Sinnoh, she at least _knows_ somebody in case anything happens. Plus, if she wants to be a Top Coordinator, she should start in Hoenn or Sinnoh." Turning back to Charlie, May said, "If you come to Hoenn, I can give you advice for your contest battles."

"Charlie doesn't want to be a coordinator, May," Max told his sister in that know-it-all voice of his. "A great trainer like her could become a Pokemon Master. She needs to go to Johto so she can catch more Pokemon and beat the league there. And when she comes to Hoenn, she won't be looking for contest advice. She'll want advice from me on how to win the Hoenn League."

_Top Coordinator? Pokemon Master? _Charlie sighed in defeat. It was starting. The one thing she had hoped wouldn't happen was occurring in front of her eyes. Her dad's friends were jumping to conclusions, assuming she wanted to be just like her parents. Without even asking her about what she wanted to do, they were arguing with each other over if she wanted to be a Pokemon Master like her dad or a Top Coordinator like her mom. Next, the world be involved, guessing which one she would become.

Just then, Brock walked up with Misty at his side. "Guys, leave her alone," Brock yelled at the group in his fatherly voice. For a second Charlie thought Brock would be her saving grace until he said, "With her love of Pokemon, she'll want to become a Pokemon Breeder like her Uncle Brock."

Narrowing her eyes in confusion, Misty crossed her arms across her chest. "On the contrary, Brock, she'd be a much better Gym Leader."

"Actually, I think Charlie would make a lovely Connoisseur," Cilan countered. "Right, Charlie?"

Before she could answer, May and Dawn cut her off.

"What? No way!" Dawn and May yelled. "Coordinators are much better!"

"Breeder!"

"Pokemon Master!"

"Gym Leader!"

"Connoisseur!"

Charlie just let her head fall onto the table as it became clear this debate no longer required her own opinion. So much for a nice, enjoyable meal. There was no way this argument would ever come to an end. She had a feeling, too, that once she finally decided what she wanted to pursue, they would still try to talk her into something else. Attributing it to the fact none of them had kids of their own to raise, they all wanted to be the ones who could claim victory when Charlie decided to follow in their footsteps-or some variation of it. So long as she ended up coming to them for advice on how to achieve her ideal career, they would be happy. Until then, they would argue with each other over why she had no interest in pursuing the other's choice of career. Maybe she should just shock them all and tell them she was actually planning on joining Team Rocket. Then they would probably think she hit her head on the rock a little too hard.

"So where are we going next?" she heard Grayson whisper from beside her.

As Charlie thought about how to answer Grayson's question, she suddenly remembered an item she had placed in her pocket. Pulling it out, she set the music box on the table and flipped it open. _For your next journey. _The words that Christina and Daniel had said as they handed her the music box, bounced around in her brain. She knew there was a hidden meaning behind why they had given her the music box for her next journey, but that was something she knew she was going to have to figure out for herself. Maybe it was hidden in the song that the box played. As a kid, Charlie had grown all too familiar with the tune due to the fact that she had always set it near her pillow and listened to it over and over until she fell asleep. And thanks to her dad, she knew the legend that went along with it. Still, she couldn't help but feel that there was something more to it than just a song and a legend.

"The Orange Islands," Charlie replied. "I know it may sound crazy, but there's something waiting for me. I can just feel it."

Maybe, just like the envelopes, this music box was connected to somebody she was supposed to seek out. Maybe, the scavenger hunt wasn't over. Like she had told Grayson, she had this feeling that there were still people out there for her to find-maybe even new information about her dad that they would give her. Only this time, she wasn't using envelopes and nicknames to find them. She would be using items such as the music box sitting in front of her.

"It takes a lot to convince me that what you've said is crazy," Grayson teased her. "But if there's something telling you to head the Orange Islands, who am I to tell you no?"

Despite what Grayson had said, he knew that even if he did try to tell Charlie no, in the end, she would go with or without him.

"Thanks."

"Yeah, sure." Even though they had decided where they were headed next, Grayson could tell just by looking at Charlie's face that there was something more she wanted to say. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," Charlie told him. "I was just thinking about what you said to me. How you said maybe one day I could find something that would fix everything. It sounded like a neat idea at the time, but the more I think about it, the more I have to wonder if something like that is even possible. Could I really change the past?"

"I honestly don't know. I was just saying it to make you feel better," Grayson admitted. Seeing Charlie's face fall a bit, he felt bad about what he had said. "That doesn't mean it's impossible, though. At least, I don't think so. If you ask me, your whole life has been based around change. Who's to say you can't change the past, too?"

Taking a second, Charlie thought about what Grayson had said. Throughout her life, she had been plagued with events that changed her life in major ways. Her life had changed when her dad had entered it, when her mom had left it, and when her dad had left as well. Then Christina and Daniel had brought about change when they took over taking care of her. And in a little over a year, her life had drastically changed once again.

It was weird for her to think that the group of people still arguing over her choice of career might have never been here. That she could have lived her whole life-or at least a large portion of it-not knowing who they were. But they were standing here because the questions she had wondered about for years had finally been answered. She knew what her dad had sacrificed to be a part of her life, and she knew the truth behind why her mom had left and what she had really been doing. She discovered the true identity behind her parents and learned things about her dad that he had always kept hidden from her. She'd changed the lives of her dad's friends, giving them someone they could joke about her dad with, spoil with food and gifts, and something new to sketch-and even a second chance to redeem themselves from past actions. After that, she no longer felt the need to hide her identity and she revealed to the world that she was Ash Ketchum's daughter. She knew things would continue to change-hopefully not as earth shattering as they had been before-but those would come with time.

"Look, Charlie. I don't care where we go, so long as there's new Pokemon to see and catch," Grayson told her.

"You sound like my dad," Charlie giggled.

Grayson couldn't help but smile at Charlie's comment. She had just compared him to the most important person in her life, a person he was more than honored to remind her of.

"Well, you know what they say," Grayson replied, a sly grin on his face as he playfully nudged Charlie. "You gotta' Ketch'em all."

Charlie just shook her head, trying to hide the small smile that was forming on her face. Between her dad's friends debates about what she would become and Grayson's lame jokes, one of them was going to drive her crazy. Maybe a little change wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing. But whatever that change was, she would be ready for it and she would have her allies to help her face it. And while she faced the change she knew would be waiting for her on her new journey, she promised herself she would find a way to change what had happened. If there was one thing she had always believed, it was that as long as there was hope she would continue fighting. So with the music box in her hand, she made a vow to her dad:

_I swear to you I'll keep searching until I find a way to bring you back, Dad. You'll get to achieve your dream. I promise._

_The End_

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><p><em>Thank you to everyone who has ever read this story or reviewed. While i know in no way is this the greatest story ever, I truly can't thank you enough for your support while writing this.<br>_


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